Where Life Takes You
by numtwelve
Summary: AU-Human, ExB - Bella, suffering a huge loss, relocates to Reno, NV to start a new life. She never expected to find the life she found. *Rated for future lemons*...SM owns all except my story idea
1. Chapter 1 A New Life

Chapter 1 – A New Life

"This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change."

Taylor Swift

BPOV

It was heavenly standing outside on my patio. It was a beautiful day – cold, but beautiful. The sky was a dark sapphire with huge white puffy clouds. I could get used to days like this.

I had recently moved to Reno, Nevada from Seattle, Washington. I had hated that city; it was too much for me. Reno, on the other hand, was aptly named "The Biggest Little City." It had a city feel with the small town aspect that appealed to me. I felt at home in a small town, since I had grown up in one. That was the tiniest town in the world: Forks, Washington.

Glancing around, I reveled in the quiet. I was used to being alone…used to the quiet. I have lived on my own for about nine years now. I enjoy having time to myself to read, write and think. I had never really given any thought to having a roommate, and I certainly never thought I would get far enough with any relationship to live with someone. Yes, I was better alone.

I'm sure that my moderate philophobic* behavior stemmed from losing my father a year ago. Being an only child, I bonded with him early on. My mother and I never got along well, but I quietly tolerated her rather than dealing with the less than a maternal woman.

My dad, Charlie Swan, was a wonderful man. He was uncomfortable with saying "I love you," but he showed me how he felt. I remember when he bought that old pickup truck, which I loved, and surprised me with it the day I got home from my sophomore year in high school. When it was cold, he put chains on my tires without my knowledge. Just to keep me safe. He taught me how to fish, spending countless days on his tiny fishing boat with me.

Renee, my mother, never spent much time with me. The best word for her was flakey. She had taken over a dozen different classes from the local junior college, trying to find her passion, as she put it. She was never able to hold a job for more than a year and was unemployed more often than she had a job anyway.

Breaking away from my reverie, I snuffed my cigarette out and walked inside my apartment. The ringing of my phone almost made me jump. I looked at my caller ID to discover it was my mother calling me.

Ignore.

I still couldn't face her. I heard the sound indicating a new voicemail. I would check it later. My mother was not the person that I wanted to talk to today.

Sighing, I walked toward my kitchen, setting my phone down on the table. I put my coffee cup in the sink and walked to my bedroom to get ready for work. I was picking out a pantsuit when I heard my phone ring again. Boy, she was relentless today.

Listening closer, I realized it was Alice's ringtone: "Soul Sister" by Train. It always cracked her up that I had selected that song as her ring tone. I ran into the kitchen picking up my phone.

"Hello?" I breathed into the phone.

"Jeez, B, what were you doing, running a marathon?" Alice said, laughing into the phone.

"Sorry, Ali, I was in my bedroom and had to run for the phone. What's up?" I said, sitting down at the table.

"Can you pick me up, B? My stupid POS car has a flat tire. I have neither the money nor the time to fix it." Alice sounded grumpy. I smirked at her formal wording in her last sentence. Classic Alice.

"Sure, sure. I'm almost ready to leave, so I'll pick you up in fifteen to twenty minutes. Cool?"

"Thanks, B! I owe you one!"

"No problem. See you then." I disconnected the call, setting my phone down again. I poured the rest of my coffee into my travel coffee cup before I went back to my bedroom to finish getting ready

In just a short ten minutes, I was out the door headed toward Alice's apartment. She didn't live that far away, so I was happy with myself that I would get there a little earlier than I had expected.

Just as I got in my car, my phone rang again. _Goodness, I'm popular this morning_, I thought looking at my phone again.

I sighed and answered the phone. "Hi, Jazz."

Jasper Cullen, my semi-boyfriend, sounded way too chipper this early in the morning. "Hey, Bells! What did you decide about tomorrow night?"

"Ugh, Jazz, do we have to? You know I hate parties," I said, sitting back in my seat. Jasper had been on my case for a week to have a New Year's Eve party at my apartment. He was quite relentless.

"Come on, Bells! It will be fun! My brother is coming; you can invite Alice. I'll bring the alcohol. We can try to hook Edward and Alice up, so that they can be as happy as we are!"

I shuddered at that thought. I doubted that Alice would go for Edward. I had never met him, but if he was anything like Jasper, Alice would hate the man. "Yeah, ok, fine," I agreed hesitantly. "Listen, Jazz, I have to go to work. I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah, I'll be there by six for dinner. Make something meaty, will you?" Jasper said, hanging up. I silently seethed for a moment. Jasper knew that I was a vegetarian, but for some reason he chose to ignore that whenever we had dinner.

Resigning myself to the stupid situation that I was in, I decided that I would pick up a steak for him on my way home from work. I put the car in drive and headed toward Alice, now running a little behind.


	2. Chapter 2 Alice

**A/N: Thank you all for your interest in this story! We are diving into Alice for this chapter. As for right now, I only have three POVs that will be done in this story: Bella, Alice and Edward. I suppose that's subject to change, but that's all I have for now.**

**I have several chapters finished already, just waiting for them to be proof-read before posting them.**

Chapter 2 – Alice

"Life is really hard at times but you have to be strong. You have to..."

Unknown

APOV

I was bored. Again. The insurance business was funny like that…it was feast or famine and never anywhere in-between. Next week would be insane once the holiday claims started to pour in, though. But today I was bored. I had finished the filing an hour ago, the typing was finished yesterday, and the phone hadn't rung all day. "_I wonder what it would be like to have a job I enjoy,"_ I thought with a grimace.

"Alice, have you finished that letter that Emmett gave you?" The voice startled me out of my inner monologue. Rosalie Hale, my boss, had snuck up to my desk. She did that a lot—probably hoping to catch me doing something I'm not supposed to be doing. I hated her—she was the embodiment of perfect. Perfect long blonde hair, model tall and amazingly beautiful features. Compared to my short height and childlike face…well, I hated her.

"Yes Miss Hale, it's right here," I handed the completed letter to her. She grabbed it from me and began reading it. "Is there anything else you want me to do before I leave today?"

"Hmmm…well, I'm sure I can find something for you to do," Rosalie said, not looking up from the letter. She handed the letter back to me with a nasty smirk on her face. "You misspelled plaintiff in the second sentence. I expect you to do better, Alice. Fix it and give it to Emmett immediately."

I mentally cursed my shortsightedness as she walked away. Of course the pretty, flawless Barbie caught a mistake. And, of course I made one. Making this perfectly annoying day even worse, I began to rewrite the letter for Emmett.

I looked up from my computer just in time to see Bella turning the corner walking toward my desk. I smiled at her. She was the friendliest face I'd seen so far today.

"Hey, ready for lunch?" Bella asked smiling back at me.

"Is it lunch time already?" I asked, glancing at my phone. Sure enough, 12:05. I was actually late for lunch. "Thank goodness! I have been ready for lunch since I got here! Let's go."

I stood up and grabbed my purse from below my desk, the letter momentarily forgotten. I followed Bella to the elevator checking my phone for any texts I missed. Nothing, as usual. The only person who texted me was standing right next to me. I sighed and dropped my phone in my purse.

"Want to eat at the Nugget? They have a great lunch special," Bella was saying as we got in the elevator. I sighed. Bella never seemed to understand that I didn't make as much money as her. I was barely able to afford my basic bills, let alone fancy diners everyday.

"Uh, how about we go to Taco Bell?" I said hopefully. I could at least afford to eat there.

Bella scrunched up her nose. I pushed away a bout of anger and humiliation. Bella was so specific when it came to her weirdo diet and, apparently, Taco Bell wasn't part of it. She always wanted to go out to nice places instead of fast food. The problem was Bella didn't realize that I didn't have much money—I never chose to tell her.

"I've really got my heart set on the Nugget. My treat?" Bella asked. Attempting to ignore my pride, I agreed. Exiting the elevator I started to pull my keys out when I remembered I didn't have my car; my stupid car that was always breaking down. I frowned and put my keys back in my purse and followed Bella to her car.

Bella was a good a friend, even if she was rich. Well, rich by my standards anyway. She hadn't always been, but I knew that she was great at saving money and that she got a decent inheritance when her dad passed away.

My family had always been poorer than dirt. I never knew my real parents, but my aunt and uncle who raised me were very poor. My mother died giving birth to me and my father died when I was about a year old, forcing me to live with my aunt and uncle. My uncle, Seth Brandon, worked as a janitor for the hospital in Forks where I grew up. Leah, my aunt, worked at the grocery store. I had to get a job there during high school to help pay bills until I left for college. I knew that I had been a burden on them, but they were never anything but kind to me.

We pulled up to the Nugget and parked on the side by Victorian Square. Bella and I got out and began walking to the restaurant. She was unusually quiet, for Bella anyway. She really didn't talk a lot normally, but for some reason she seemed even quieter to me today.

"Ok, B, spill it. I know something is bothering you," I said after the hostess had seated us. I saw her sigh as she set her menu down.

"Renee called again today. That's the third time this week. She is calling more and more these days," Bella started. "I have voice mails on my phone that I'm not willing to listen to, but I'm starting to worry that avoiding her isn't a good idea."

I was shocked. In the last year since Charlie had died, Renee had only called Bella a handful of times. Three times in one week was a lot for her.

"Wow, I'm sorry B. What are you going to do?"

"I honestly don't know. I really don't want to talk to her…" Bella's voice trailed off as if she was suddenly in deep thought. I didn't want to disturb whatever was going on inside her head. "Plus, Jasper is on me about this stupid New Years party tomorrow night. Please come! Jasper is bringing his brother, Edward, and has his mind set on fixing you two up." Bella's eyes were pleading with me.

_A set up? Great_. I thought to myself. But, seeing how important it was to Bella I decided I could be amenable to an evening away from my tiny little apartment. It's not like I was doing anything else, anyway.

"Sure, B, I'll come. But I can't guarantee you that I will like Jasper's brother," I warned her. Men and I generally didn't get along much.

"Thanks Ali!" Bella smiled at me and turned her attention back to her menu. I wanted to press the issue of her mother calling, trying to help Bella understand that she couldn't hide from her problems. But, honestly, I couldn't figure out a way to bring it up without causing Bella to be sad again. Fortunately, Bella saved me the trouble.

"I'm thinking about just calling her and dealing with it. What do you think?" Bella said, glancing at me over her menu.

"B, I wish I had the talent to look into the future and tell you what you were going to have to deal with," I joked with her. "But, it is a good idea to just deal with the issue and move on."

Bella chuckled lightly at my joke. "Ali, if you ever get that talent, please leave me out of it. I prefer the future not to be set in stone."

After we had eaten, Bella and I were walking to her car when her phone started ringing again. I watched as she looked at her phone, hit ignore and threw it into her purse. Without knowing what to say, I silently put my arm around her as we continued to walk.

**A/N: So what do you think of my Alice? I know she's a little OOC, but she will change quite a bit in this story.**

**Let me know what you think! Next chapter….Edward POV!**


	3. Chapter 3 Shiny Around The Edges

**A/N: Ok, so I know that I promised Chapter 3 would be in Edward's POV, but I really had to get more of Bella in first. So, I promise, you will hear from Edward in Chapter 4.**

Chapter 3 – Shiny Around the Edges

"Girls never mind staying up a bit longer just to talk to a guy they love."

Unknown

BPOV

"Come on Bells. What's the matter with you tonight?" Jasper said as he sat down on my bed. He sighed deeply as he watched me walk into my bedroom. He was bugging me as usual with his incessant talking about us. He wanted to discuss our relationship – again. "I swear it's like you don't even want me here most of the time."

I copied his sigh sitting on the other side of the bed from him. "Jazz, it's not that. I'm just not in a good mood tonight, that's all. It has nothing to do with you."

Jazz growled slightly under his breath but when he looked up at me his face changed into a smile. "Ok, fine Bells we don't have to talk about it now. Let's talk about our party tomorrow night instead."

Grumbling under my breath, I stood up and began walking toward my bathroom. Jasper caught up to me and put his arms around me, stopping my progress. I suppressed a shudder when he started kissing the back of my neck and shoulders.

"How about you order a pizza or two, and I'll bring the alcohol?" Jasper said, squeezing me harder. I knew this game. Kiss me and try to get me to agree to whatever he wanted. Well, I was not playing his game tonight.

Struggling out of his grasp, I turned to face him. "You know I don't eat pizza; it's not part of my diet!" I said vehemently. "I will make something for dinner, you will bring the appetizers and Edward and Alice can bring the alcohol. That way we all bring something." Jasper looked shocked by my tone of voice, so I softened it before continuing. "Besides, this whole mess was your idea anyway. The least you can do is provide food that we will all eat."

Jasper sighed again, bringing his lips down on mine. He wasn't too forceful, yet, but I knew he would get there. He was very upset that we hadn't slept together yet, but honestly I just wasn't ready. He was nice – most of the time. He was great to spend time with – most of the time. I let him kiss me, but I never let it go any farther. Subconsciously, I knew that I should just end the relationship. I would have done it a few weeks ago, but he was comfortable and reliable…

As Jasper began to unbutton my shirt, I pulled away from him swiftly. He groaned and looked at me with a mixture of desire and anger. I couldn't tell which emotion was winning.

"Come on Bella! We've been dating for a couple months already. Don't you think it's time that we take our relationship to the next step?"

"Not tonight, Jazz, I really don't feel well." I quickly lied. I started buttoning up my shirt as Jasper leaned down and grabbed his jacket from the floor.

"Ok Bella. I have to go anyway. I told Edward that I'd bring him something to eat on my way home anyway. He's been working late a lot lately," Jasper explained, giving me a kiss on the cheek and quickly walking out of my apartment.

I stood staring toward the closed door, shocked at how quickly he left. His abrupt exit made me all the more convinced that jasper was not the right man for me. _I will break up with him tomorrow_, I thought to myself as I walked toward my kitchen.

My kitchen was still messy from the dinner with Jasper, but I was too tired to deal with it tonight. I had tomorrow off, since it was New Year's Eve, so I would clean my house then. Jasper, Edward and Alice were coming over around 7 for dinner before the count down to midnight.

Ignoring the mess, I grabbed a bottle of wine from my refrigerator. I reached into my cabinet and took out my favorite wine glass. I poured myself almost a full glass of wine before placing the rest of the bottle back in the refrigerator. I took a small sip, enjoying the flavor dancing on my tongue before I walked toward my patio.

I opened the door and slid outside, feeling the bite of the cold Reno air. I lit my cigarette, taking a long drag and glanced up at the sky. The night sky was beautifully dark with bright white clouds. I still thought it was amazing – the clouds in the night sky were just breathtaking.

I took another drag of my cigarette and watched the smoke waft up in a lazy circle. Understanding the coincidence, with the slow smoke and my slow life, I began to wonder why I hadn't been able to forgive my mother and move on from my father's death. My life certainly didn't turn out the way I had imagined. The ongoing fight with my mother, my crazy love life and the career choice I made.

I remembered sitting on my father's lap as a child telling him about my dreams of becoming a writer. I wanted to write books that captivated the imagination and kept the readers excited and enthralled until the very end, leaving them wanting more. Stories from my youth that I enjoyed, like _Wuthering Heights_ and _Pride and Prejudice_ – these made me want to create my own stories. My father would smile and tell me I could accomplish whatever I put my mind to.

My mother, on the other hand, would always scoff and tell me that I needed to be realistic. I needed to go to college and try to find a real job, rather than chasing a dream. My chest tightened at the memory. Even when I was little, Renee never supported me. Dad was the only person that had mattered to me….and now he was gone.

Renee had been a constant source of frustration and pain throughout my life. She continued to pester me now right in the middle of my grief. Her voice filled with ridicule and disappointment. Yet, I still could remember the tightness in her voice when she had successfully connected with me today. Calling my cell phone over and over had forced me to consider changing my number, but I had no ability to change my work phone number. When I didn't answer her calls on my cell today, she called my work phone.

"This is Bella, how can I help you?" I said pleasantly, answering my phone at work just after lunch.

"Isabella, dear, when are you going to talk to me?" Renee's slow drawl came over the phone. I stiffened.

"I don't have time to talk now, Renee. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't call me at work," I said automatically. I almost hung up right then, but something kept me on the phone.

"You never have time to talk to me. I wanted to catch you when you couldn't run away from me. Why did you move so far away? Do you really hate me that much?" Renee sniffed into the phone. _Figures_, I thought to myself. She always did know her way around a guilt trip. Renee had always used crying to get her way. "I wanted to talk to you at the funeral, but you ran away so quickly. You won't take my calls, either…"her voice drifted away briefly. "Isabella, I have some news from home for you…"she began the long conversation about the families I had grown up with. Jessica Stanley had finally married Mike Newton. Angela and Ben Cheney were expecting their first child…on and on. I was barely listening when she said something I wasn't prepared for.

"Isabella….I'm, well, I'm getting married again," Renee said quietly.

"Go to hell," I said immediately, without thinking. I hung up the phone quickly. After the phone call I was visibly shaken and desperate to get out of the office to be alone, but the day wasn't quite over.

My cell phone ringing startled me back to the present. I glanced at my phone. It was a local number, but one I didn't recognize. I assumed that it wasn't my mother calling, so I decided to answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Yes, hi, is this Bella Swan?" A beautiful voice said.

"Um, yes, I'm Bella Swan," I said, my voice faltering a little. What was going on?

"Hi Bella, we haven't officially met yet. I'm Edward Cullen, Jasper's brother,"

"Oh, hi Edward! Um, what can I do for you?" I said, taking another drag from my cigarette.

"Jasper was supposed to meet me at his place for dinner, but he's late. I'm really sorry to bother you, but have you seen him?" Edward asked. I could hear the frustration in his voice.

"He actually left here about 10 minutes ago," I informed him. "Did you try his cell?"

"No because it's sitting on the coffee table in his living room. That's how I got your number. I hope I'm not bothering you…" Edward sounded very tired and unsure of himself. For some reason, I found myself wanting to console him.

"Oh, no, it's fine Edward, really!" I stammered. "Jazz just left, I'm sure he'll be there soon. He told me how you've been working late and you sound really tired, so I hope he will be." _Oh wow, I sounded like a complete moron._ I thought to myself. I didn't even know this guy.

"Thanks, I hope so too. I swear that my brother is the biggest flake in the world," Edward said, chuckling a little bit.

I smiled, thinking his laugh was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard in my life. "I'm sorry Edward. Are you upset because he left his phone at home or because you get crabby when you are hungry?"

Edward laughed harder. "It's hard to tell. Honestly it could be a little of both!" He exclaimed. "So, did my flake of a brother happen to say where he was headed when he left?"

"Um, I don't think so. He might have said something about going home, maybe? I'm sorry Edward, I honestly don't remember. I'm pretty tired and was thinking about something else when he left." Yes, it was official….I was a mood killer. Edward's voice immediately became serious.

"It's ok Bella. Are you ok? You sound upset."

Interesting that Edward could pick up on my moods over the phone while his brother had trouble when in the same room as me. I snuffed out my cigarette, pulling another one out of the pack before answering him.

"Yes, I'm ok. Just family stuff…"my voice carried off. I had a weird need to tell him my problems. For some reason I felt he would understand. I decided against it, however, seeing as how I didn't really know him. "Well, you know all about family stuff!" I said, laughing, hoping to lighten the air a little.

Edward laughed at me. "Oh yes, I definitely understand that! Jazz and I have had our fair share of disagreements over the years. That's why I moved out last year. Living together was too hard – harder than either of us thought it would be. We were trying to save money, but realized that we could afford our own places. Plus it's been much better for our relationship, definitely." Edward mused. I hadn't realized that they didn't live together. I was sure Jasper had said something about them living together. I guess I just assumed he meant they currently lived together.

Our conversation flowed naturally from there. Edward was very easy to talk to. We talked about everything – he confided in me about how hard he had been working and how exhausted he was because of that. As he was talking, I found myself, once again, wanting to tell him about my family problems. But, again, I decided against it. While it was very easy to talk to him, I really didn't know him.

We talked about politics, religion, family….all the topics that people usually avoided in casual conversation. We disagreed about a few things, but it was never uncomfortable. We always agreed to disagree. Before I knew it, we had talked for an hour.

"Wow, I can't believe it's been an hour already!" I exclaimed, after I had walked into my kitchen to set down my empty wine glass. I noticed the time on the microwave. I could hardly talk to anyone for an hour, let alone a stranger. I really was shocked.

"Really? Wow! I just called to see if Jazz was there," Edward said. Then with a small voice, he said, "You are really easy to talk to Bella."

I was about to tell him that he was too when I heard a commotion in the background.

"Where have you been? I'm starving here!" Edward said to someone – it had to be Jasper. "Oh, I'm talking to Bella. Yeah, um, Bella? Jazz wants to talk to you."

Feeling immediately guilty for some reason, I agreed.

"Bells? What's going on? Why were you talking to Edward?" Jasper sounded out of breath, and more than a little irritated.

"He called to see where you were, since you had left your cell phone at home. We were just chatting," I said defensively. Why was I being defensive? I hadn't done anything wrong.

"Uh, ok. Listen Bells, I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow," Jasper said, hanging up the phone. Well, he definitely wasn't a talker.

I walked toward the bedroom, intending on getting ready for bed. Why did I feel guilty? I was only talking to my boyfriend's brother. Sweet, kind, Edward – stop it! I mentally chided myself. That was just silly to be thinking about Edward that way. I had never even met him in person before.

I sat down on my bed staring at my phone. Edward had my phone number now, and I had his. I wonder if it's inappropriate to text or call him sometimes? I threw my phone on my bed in frustration and quickly changed into my nightgown. So stupid to continue thinking about someone that I didn't really know.

I grabbed my phone and set it on my nightstand before I got under my covers. I turned my light off and lay my head on my pillow. His tinkling laughter kept playing over and over in my head. Seriously, why am I thinking about him?

The buzzing of my phone almost made me jump. I looked at my phone to see an incoming text from a local number. I quickly checked my phone log and added Edward's cell phone as a contact. I switched back to the text and smiled when I discovered the text had come from Edward.

:_It's Edward. Sorry about him:_

_:It's ok, he's tired:_ I wasn't really sure if he was, but it seemed appropriate to say.

_:Goodnight Bella. Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow!:_ I smiled and felt myself blush.

:_Goodnight Edward. Same here:_ those four words had taken me 5 full minutes to compose. I wanted to say so much more…that he got me smiling faster than anyone else I had ever met. That I couldn't stop thinking about his laugh and how it had made me feel. That I was desperate to see him and couldn't wait to meet him in person.

Smiling again, I set my phone back down on the nightstand. I had a feeling that tomorrow would drag up to the time that he – they – got here. I laid my head down on my pillow and thought about Edward again.

That was the first night I dreamt about Edward Cullen – the man I had never met before.

**A/N: So….what do you think? Love it? Hate it? Let me know!**


	4. Chapter 4 Anticipation

**A/N: So now that we have some of the back story taken care of, let's begin the real story. I'm starting this chapter diving into Edward…which is just a little preview here. Quite a bit more to come in Edward's POV.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 4 – Anticipation

"As Daddy said, life is 95 percent anticipation."

Gloria Swanson

EPOV

The cursor on the screen blinked annoying as I sat at my desk. I stared at it, willing the words for my newest proposal to come to me. The proposal was due on Monday and it wasn't even started yet. Usually, I was great at working under pressure, but for some reason I was unable to concentrate. I couldn't keep my eyes off the clock on my computer. It was only 3:44. I had three hours to wait before I had to leave for Bella's.

_Bella_.

To say that she had been on my mind since our conversation last night was putting it mildly. I had dreamed about her sweet voice all night with her name on my tongue when I woke up this morning. It took everything I had to not text her first thing this morning. I had gotten up quickly and showered…her name fell out of my mouth several times in there as well.

Frustrated, I closed the lid of my laptop and pushed away from my desk. I looked at the clock again. 3:46. _Dammit!_ I shouted inside my head. What was it about her voice that had me this hung up? I had never met her and had only heard about her from Jasper. He never told me much, just that they hadn't slept together yet, and he was hoping that would change tonight.

Jasper was a good guy, but he didn't love Bella. He told me that she was cute and fun but that he didn't see a future with her. I kept my opinions to myself, but I didn't understand why he would stay with her if he knew that she wasn't the one. Being a good big brother, I just smiled and changed the topic of conversation.

It took Jasper several days to convince me to come to the party tonight. I had no desire to go to any parties and he knew that. I was getting closer to getting a big promotion at work and had been putting in a lot of hours lately. Because I had been working so hard, I hadn't been out for a few months. The last time I went out was when Jasper and I had gotten a few beers together so he could tell me about meeting Bella at the grocery store. Since then I had been working ten to twelve hour days during the week and several hours on the weekends. I wasn't interested in going to any parties…I was interested in getting my promotion.

I raked my hand through my hair, successfully messing it up a little bit more. I bit my lip as I grabbed my cell phone. I just couldn't wait three more hours. I had to talk to her again. He voice had been consuming my thoughts all day.

"Hello?" My Bella said into the phone. _Wait…MY Bella? Where did that come from?_ I thought to myself, biting my lip again.

"Um, hi Bella. It's Edward." I said, trying to clear the cotton out of my mouth.

She chuckled a little before answering. "Hi Edward. Looking for Jazz again?" She had a flirty tone in her voice, and it was driving me crazy.

"No, no!" I laughed. "I just had a quick question for you."

"Ok, shoot."

"What kind of alcohol should I bring tonight?" I asked glancing at the three full bags I had on my kitchen table. They were filled with beer, vodka, tequila and rum. I had also thought about the different kind of drinks that could be made, so I had picked up margarita mix, bloody Mary mix, cranberry and pineapple juice and grenadine. I figured that a lot of drinks could be made out of those items…but I had to hear her voice again.

"Oh, well, beer is good for Jasper and Alice. I usually like mixed drinks. Ok, so some mixes maybe? Like margaritas or something. But, if you are fishing, my favorite drink is a good Merlot."

I swallowed thickly, realizing that I didn't have her favorite drink. "Oh, ok, great. Thanks, Bella!" I began to rush around my apartment, grabbing my shoes and jacket. I was damn well going to get her favorite drink!

Bella continued talking, completely unaware of my near panic state. "I think Alice was going to bring a couple bottles of wine. But Ali doesn't like red wine, so I imagine she will bring white. Which is ok," she said, drawing out the word _ok_, "but it's really not what I like."

I tried to make my voice sound normal before speaking, but it came out like I was part frog. "Great, thanks!" I cleared my throat and tried again. "So, do you need anything else for the party? I'm on my way to the store right now…"

"Oh, Edward, that's really nice of you!" She breathed into the phone, sound surprised. I was going to have to have a talk with my brother. Bella shouldn't sound that surprised when someone offers to do something for her. "I completely forgot about getting tomatoes for my salad. Can you pick some up for me? I would really appreciate it!"

I smiled. "Of course. I'll grab you a couple tomatoes and the wine….er alcohol. I'll be over shortly?" I asked, hoping she would say I could come over anytime.

Bella laughed…I almost fainted at that sound. "You can come over whenever you want, Edward. And, thanks again."

I hung up the phone feeling myself flush at the thought of her beautiful laugh. I was becoming desperate to see her now.

I pulled up to Bella's apartment complex with butterflies in my stomach. I had grabbed the bags of alcohol and mixes from home before I ran to the grocery store. I picked up three different kind of tomatoes…I wasn't sure which kind she liked and like an idiot, I forgot to ask her. I also got three different kinds of Merlot…just to make sure.

The stocker at the grocery store must have thought I was a complete idiot. I walked down the aisle several times looking at each wine. Finally, seeing that I wasn't making any progress, he offered his assistance. He pointed out three wines that he enjoyed himself, and I got all three.

I rushed through the grocery store to the counter to pay as quickly as I could. I caught a glimpse of myself in the glass for the dairy case. I looked a little panicked, but not too bad. I had showered in the morning, but my out of control hair was pointing in every direction anyway. I looked presentable enough to meet this girl.

I got out of my car and walked around to the trunk. I grabbed the five bags out of the trunk, closing it with my elbow. I walked as slowly as I could toward her apartment, not wanting to seem too eager. When I reached her front door, I set the bags down and glanced at my watch. 4:32. Well, I had been able to get through almost an hour.

I pulled my hand through my hair one last time and knocked on the door.

~~OooO~~

BPOV

BPOV

I sat at my computer staring blankly. For some reason words were running together and nothing was fun anymore. I stared at the clock on the computer and willed the time to go by faster. 3:40. Typically, I enjoy time to myself. But for some reason today was different. My mind was occupied by two major things right now…my dad and Edward. Totally different thoughts, of course, but they were still on my mind.

My dad was on my mind because I was thinking of the last time I had seen him before the car accident. I sat with him and told him about my life, how I yearned for love and happiness. I explained to him how empty my life felt and that I had no idea how to change that. My father took my hand and smiled at me. I can still hear what he said to me as clearly as I can hear my own thoughts.

"_Bells, listen to me. Everyone goes through this at one point or another in their lives. I want you to remember how important you are to me. The best moment in my entire life was holding you right after you were born." He paused for a moment staring intently at me. "I enjoy many things in my life now; fishing, my job, these conversations with you," he said, smiling. "But it took me a while to get there. Bells, you will find your way."_

Tears began streaming down my face as the impact of his words hit me again. I stared at the computer some more, missing my father so much it hurt. The ache in my heart had grown significantly reliving that moment. I stepped away from the computer and ran toward the patio. I needed air.

I lit my cigarette and willed myself to think of someone other than my dad. That train of thought took me right back to Edward…to his voice, anyway. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him since our conversation last night. It was so easy to talk to him…

The sound of my phone ringing from inside the house startled me. I snuffed my cigarette out and ran inside.

It was Edward. My heart started beating a mile a minute and I couldn't stop the smile from enveloping my face. I answered the phone barely able to breath.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi Bella. It's Edward." I heard him stammer. Instantly I wondered if he had been thinking about me like I had been thinking about him.

I shook my head, sending that thought far away. I laughed, willing myself to calm down. It sounded like a nervous chuckle more than a laugh. "Hi Edward. Looking for Jazz again?" _Oh, no, was I flirting with him?_

"No, no!" He laughed. What a beautiful sound that was; my knees were weak. "I just had a quick question for you."

"Ok, shoot."

"What kind of alcohol should I bring tonight?"

I paused. I had no idea because I honestly hadn't thought about that at all. I usually only drink wine, but what if he was a beer drinker? Should I tell him what I want or what I think he wants? Maybe if I can guess correctly, he will think that we have more in common. _That's stupid,_ I thought to myself. I don't know this guy yet, why am I trying to accommodate what I think he wants rather than what I want?

"Oh, well, beer is good for Jasper and Alice. I usually like mixed drinks ok, so some mixes maybe? Like margaritas or something. But, if you are fishing, my favorite drink is a good Merlot." I smiled. There, I had found the best of both worlds.

He paused for a minute. I started panicking for a split second before he finally spoke. "Oh, ok, great. Thanks, Bella!"

I froze…he sounded weird. I rushed to try to correct the situation. Maybe he hates wine? "I think Alice was going to bring a couple bottles of wine. But, Ali doesn't like red wine, so I imagine she will bring white. Which is ok," I said, drawing out the word ok, "but, it's really not what I like."

I knew I was rambling, but for some reason this unknown man brought it out of me. I could hear him breathing on the other end of the line so I wondered what was going on with him.

"Great, thanks!" he said, clearing his throat. "So, do you need anything else for the party? I'm on my way to the store right now…"

What a sweet man. Jasper hadn't even called me yet today. The more I talk to this man, the more I compared him to Jasper. Jasper was definitely not measuring up at this point. "Oh, Edward, that's really nice of you!" I gushed. I was completely surprised and taken aback by his request. Other than Alice, or Charlie, I wasn't used to people offering to help me. "I completely forgot about getting tomatoes for my salad. Can you pick some up for me? I would really appreciate it!"

"Of course. I'll grab you a couple tomatoes and the wine…er alcohol. I'll be over shortly?" His last sentence came out like a question. Suddenly, I had to see him. I had been waiting all day for the party to come just so I could finally meet this man who had been on my thoughts since last night.

_He is my boyfriend's brother_, I reminded myself again. I laughed nervously before responding. "You can come over whenever you want, Edward. And, thanks again," I added quickly.

We hung up after that and I found myself flying into a frenzy making sure that my apartment was ready to greet this man. I had already finished cleaning hours ago, but for some reason it didn't feel good enough. I wiped down all the kitchen counters, walked through every room in the house making sure I didn't leave my shoes lying in the middle of the floor and I made sure that the patio door was clean. Again.

After my crazy cleaning spree, I stepped outside on my patio and lit another cigarette. I began feeling butterflies in my stomach as I realized that he could be at my home any minute now. I set my cigarette down, still lit and ran to the bathroom. I ran a comb through my hair and reapplied my lip gloss. I didn't usually wear make-up, but I was becoming more and more nervous as the clock ticked beside my bed.

I ran back out to the patio and took another nervous puff. I ran my hands through my hair and shifted my fingers slightly almost dropping my cigarette. I held my hand out and noticed that it was shaking just a little. I laughed to myself as I sat down on my patio chair.

I looked up into the deep blue sky with huge white puffy clouds and willed myself to calm down. I didn't know this man and there is no reason why I should be so nervous about meeting him. It wasn't a first date…it wasn't anything. He is my boyfriend's brother and nothing could ever happen between us.

_Then why am I so nervous and shaking like a leaf?_

I was taking another drag of my cigarette when I heard the knocking on the front door. I snuffed it out and walked slowly – as slowly as I could – to the front door. I braced myself and opened the door.

**A/N: Ok, I know, I know…I'm a horrible person to end it like this. I'll post Chapter 5 as soon as possible! In the meantime, tell me what you think so far!**


	5. Chapter 5 Brand New

**A/N: Ok, so I know I left you all wondering what was going to happen when they meet. I hope that I don't disappoint!**

Chapter 5 – Brand New

"There are two kinds of sparks, the one that goes off with a hitch like a match, but it burns quickly. The other is the kind that needs time, but when the flame strikes... it's eternal, don't forget that."

Timothy Oliveira

**EPOV**

I was fully unprepared for what – or who – was waiting for me on the other side of the door. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had wide chocolate-brown eyes that seemed to go on forever, set in a perfect heart-shaped face. She had full red lips, a perfect nose and beautifully pale skin.

I felt a moment of unease as I stared at her, trying to find my voice. We just looked at each other for several minutes before speaking. By the time I had found my voice, a beautiful blush crept over her perfect cheeks.

"Hello, Bella," I said, holding out my hand to her. She stared at it for just a minute and then tentatively reached out and placed her hand in mine.

Once again, I was unprepared for the situation. As soon her hand made contact with mine a hum of electricity buzzed around us. She gasped as she pulled her hand back, away from me. Her beautiful eyes were wide with shock, as I'm sure my own were.

I assessed her quickly before attempting to say anything else. She had a faint crease between her eyebrows as she gazed back at me. She was petite, but not as short as I was expecting based on what my brother had said. Her dark brown hair and hints of red in it, and it hung half way down her back. It was wavy, almost downright curly in some areas, and flowed naturally down her back. I had the overwhelming urge to touch it….to see if it was as soft as it looked.

"It's nice to finally meet you," I whispered, unable to raise my voice too much. She had quite literally stolen my breath away.

"It's nice to finally meet you, too," she said, not talking very loudly either. I almost fainted at the sound of her voice. It made me almost vibrate with excitement. For the second time in just a few minutes, I fought back the urge to touch her. She pushed the door back and held it open for me. I walked in after I picked up the remaining bags, having dropped them in lieu of touching the beautiful creature in front of me.

She closed the door behind me and motioned for me to follow her into the kitchen. We were quiet for a few minutes, and I could sense her nervousness. Truthfully, I was feeling the same way. I had been extremely nervous all day. I had been terrified of what would happen when I saw her in person. Her voice had caused a strange reaction from my body…what if seeing her in person was just as good? What if it wasn't? Being the over-thinker that I am, I couldn't stop myself from considering all aspects of this issue.

"So, Edward…"her voice trailed off. I set the bags down on the kitchen table and turned to face her. She was nervously biting her lip while twisting her hair around her finger. I had never seen anything more erotic in my life.

I sat down at the table and gazed up at her expectantly, somehow gaining the confidence I thought I lost when I was staring into those beautiful brown eyes. "So, Bella?"

The beautiful creature blushed and I had to hold myself back again.

"Um, how are you this afternoon?" Bella asked taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. She continued to twist her hair and I just couldn't take it anymore. Silently, I reached over to her and stopped the twisting, grabbing her hand in mine. Once again, I felt the buzz of electricity humming around us. It was all I could do to not grab her and run for the bedroom.

"Careful, beautiful," I said, losing myself in her eyes. "I would hate for your hair to accidentally get pulled out. Especially not when it looks so soft."

Her eyes became wide and she smiled slightly at my touch. She tentatively put her other hand in mine to join the hand already there and bit her lip again. I began stroking the back of her hand with my thumb in small circles. Every time our skin connected in anyway, another jolt of electricity hit me. At this exact moment in time, I wouldn't stop staring into those beautiful eyes for anything in the world. If someone told me that I would eventually combust from electric activity if I stayed this close to her, I would have gladly welcomed death to be closer to her.

"Edward?" Bella said softly.

"Yes, beautiful?"

"Um, I'm not really sure how to ask this. I feel really stupid…"

"You can ask me anything, Bella."

"Um," she blushed furiously before continuing. "Do you feel that?"

Without having to ask her to clarify the question, I nodded running my left hand over her hands again. She smiled at me again and started to reach up to touch my face. She must have thought better of touching me, because she quickly dropped her hand.

She stood up and began bustling through the kitchen putting away the items I brought, taking the food she had prepared out and completing her salad. I felt her loss immediately and my hand felt cold and empty. I sat at the table, unable to get up for fear of embarrassing her, and watched her move around the kitchen. She had grabbed the tomatoes I brought, lifting an eyebrow at me. I assumed she was silently laughing at me for buying three different kinds. I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders at her.

I was happy about the view in front of me. Bella was swift and efficient…and she had a really nice ass. I could stare at her all day.

Once she was done putting everything away, she grabbed one of the bottles of wine I brought and opened it. She grabbed two wine glasses and then turned around to face me again.

"Edward," I loved it when she said my name; it sounded like a prayer the way she let it fall from her lips. "I need a cigarette and I was thinking about having some wine also. Do you want a glass? Oh! Do you smoke?"

I chucked at her before standing up from the table. "No, beautiful, I don't smoke…I used to many years ago, though, so it doesn't bother me at all. I would love a glass of wine with you, and I'll come outside with you while you smoke. Deal?"

She bit her lip again and nodded. I almost growled at her. Damn, but that was sexy. With shaky hands she poured the two glasses of wine and then walked toward her patio. Silently I followed her, enjoying how her ass looked in jeans.

Once we were outside, I sat down in the patio chair watching her again. Bella took out a cigarette from her pack and lit. She sat down in the chair next to me, as I shifted a little so that I could continue to watch her. She slowly put the cigarette to her mouth and took a long drag…I tried to contain myself at the erotic way her mouth looked.

Neither of us said anything for a time. I knew that she knew I was watching her, but I couldn't find it in me to care. The silence seemed almost too loud eventually, so I decided I needed to hear her voice again.

"Bell?"

"Hmm?"

"How long have you lived in Reno?"

She cringed a little, taking another drag. "Um, I moved here about six months ago."

I could tell she was going to be difficult about divulging information about her life. "What made you chose Reno?"

"Alice, my best friend, lives here. She came here for college and stayed because she found a job so quickly. I needed to get out of Washington, so I decided to come here and start a new life." She chewed on her lip again. I had the sense she was holding something back.

"How long have you and Alice known each other?" Attempting to keep her talking, I asked the first question that came to mind.

"Since we were in high school. We lived in the same town as long as I can remember, but we didn't become friends until then." She smiled then and my heart began beating faster. "Ali and I were both on the school paper in high school. I was the editor and she was the photographer. We spent a lot of time together and just never stopped hanging out. I remember being devastated that she didn't want to go to UW with me. She was accepted into UNR, but didn't get past her first year.

"She had a tough childhood and she really just wanted to get out of Forks." She glanced at me. "Ali doesn't think I know this, but she doesn't have very much money. Her parents died when she was very little and didn't leave her anything. She had to make her own way in the world. When she was offered a job, she took it opting to get out of the dorms and get her own place. I'm actually extremely proud of her."

I watched her features become severely protective and I realized how deep her emotions ran. Her passion about the subject was evident as her eyes flashed at me, almost daring me to say something to the contrary of what she said. I was momentarily stunned at the response in my body to her. Her anger, passion and caring of another person this much was a heady mixture for me.

"Well, I'm looking forward to meeting her," I said, unable to think of a response. Apparently, I chose the wrong thing to say. She stood up quickly and snuffed her cigarette out.

"Ali and Jasper should be here soon, I should go finish getting ready for the party. You can stay out here if you want, or you can come back inside." She half smiled at me and fled back into the apartment.

_What did I say?_ I thought angrily to myself. She looked hurt and a little angry. But the emotion that I saw on her face that I didn't understand at all was embarrassment. What did I say that had embarrassed her?

I stood up and followed her back inside. I walked into the kitchen and she was nowhere to be found. I continued walking through the apartment until I found her sitting on her bed, staring out the window. Slowly, I walked over to her and sat down next to her.

Reaching over to grab her hand, I tried to gain her attention but her gaze didn't waver from the window. "Bella?"

When she didn't respond, I slid from the bed and knelt down in front of her, capturing both hands this time. She finally looked at me and I could see tears forming in her eyes. My entire being ached at seeing her upset. I would give anything, do anything, to have that pain taken away.

"Beautiful, what's wrong? What did I do?"

She huffed a laugh and brought a hand up to wipe away a tear before it escaped. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's me. I'm….so….stupid."

I reached my hand up and brushed away another tear before responding. "No you aren't, beautiful. You are smart and sexy….and amazing. I've never met anyone like you before. Please tell me what's wrong."

She shook her head, but gasped as I put my hand back up to her face cupping her cheek. The electric air around us crackled again, pulling me in closer to her.

"Bella," I said, forcefully, making sure she was listening to me. "Please tell me what's wrong. I would give anything to take it away."

Gently, she pushed my hand away from her face and got up from the bed. I followed her, still trying to understand. I wasn't prepared for her anger when she turned around to face me again.

"What are you doing?" She almost yelled at me. "Stop calling me beautiful, stop touching me and stop talking to me like you love me. You are my _boyfriend's _brother. You are here to be set up with Alice, my _best_ friend. So, seriously, what are you doing?"

I walked toward her holding my hands up in surrender. "Beaut-Bella," I quickly corrected. "I'm sorry that I've made you uncomfortable. I know that you are dating Jazz, and I apologize."

I raked my hand through my hair, frustrated, trying to get the words out. "Bella, from the first second I talked to you yesterday I haven't been able to keep you out of my mind. You were in my dreams last night. I felt this instant connection with you. And," I said, rushing over to her pulling her hand into mine. "I know you feel this, too. You asked me earlier if I felt it, too, remember? I feel it, oh yes, I feel it."

I stopped talking, putting my free hand to cup her face again. She froze and stiffened in my hand. I sighed and backed away from her. Maybe I had misunderstood her question earlier…maybe I had just wanted it so badly that I assumed she felt the same way. She is dating Jasper, she probably loves him.

I turned and walked away, my heart beating in my chest. My entire being ached as I walked away from her. I got to her kitchen and debated on just leaving and skipping the party. I knew that Jasper would be over soon, and I couldn't handle watching the two of them together.

I grabbed my jacket from the kitchen table and walked toward the front door.

"Edward."

I heard her small voice from behind me. I stopped, one hand resting on the front door, and turned to look at her. Her brown eyes were wide and sad. Another tear was sliding down her cheek. I heart clenched at the sight, but I couldn't stay there any longer.

I opened the door, taking one final look at the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

**A/N: Ok, so this was a hard chapter to write. Let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6 Betrayal

**A/N: This one has some interesting content in it. LOL. Hope you like it! See you at the end.**

Chapter 6 – Betrayal

"Alas! How difficult it is not to betray one's guilt by one's looks."

Ovid

BPOV

I stood frozen while I watched Edward about to leave my apartment. My chest ached at the thought of him leaving. But I was so conflicted about him and Jasper…and Alice. What if Alice really liked Edward? She has been hurt so many times; I can't take someone away from her. Plus, I have my own boyfriend.

I was so embarrassed. I couldn't stop staring at him, wishing he would touch me more and praying that he would be my boyfriend. That he would softly kiss me, hold me in his arms and assure me that he would stay with me forever. But, the guilt of betraying Jasper and possibly ruining Alice's chance at this beautiful man was hitting me hard.

Even while all of this was running through my head, I felt the familiar fear of intimacy creep up. I wanted this man so much it terrified me. I could see myself falling in love with him and him walking away from me. Taking my heart and stomping on it, handing it back to me in pieces.

But I couldn't let him walk away. The fear was powerful, but the lust in my heart was stronger. When I had first felt the electricity that came from his touch, I thought I was going to faint. I have never felt that type of connection with anyone before. It was like I could see directly into his soul. The intensity of the look he gave me while sitting at my kitchen table had sent me over the edge. I had asked him if he felt 'it' too…And by some sort of luck he seemed to understand my question. I just couldn't end this without knowing, understanding, what was happening. Jasper be damned! Alice…Shoot, I couldn't do that to her. I would speak with her when she came over, see what she thought of him, and decide from there.

"Edward," I said, hoping he could hear it in my voice. The want, need and fear…I wanted him to solve these mixed feelings for me. To stay and figure out what we need to do in order to not hurt anyone.

He looked at me with sad eyes, and I almost buckled. A tear escaped my eye, and I didn't bother to wipe it away. He opened the door and looked as if he was going to leave. I was shocked to see Jasper standing at the door, his hand posed as if he were about to knock.

"Hey, you two. I brought a meat platter for appetizers, and I think I saw Alice in the parking lot," Jasper said, walking into the apartment completely unaware of the tension in the air. Edward looked back at me and closed the door. He followed Jasper into the kitchen and didn't spare me another glance.

"Hey, Jazz. Need any help?" Edward asked his voice quiet and filled with emotion.

"Nope," Jasper said, popping the 'P'. "I'll just leave it here and let Bells set it up the way she wants it. What are you doing here already?"

Jasper turned to face Edward, and Edward ran his hand through his hair. "I came over early because I wanted to see if Bella needed any help. I actually just got here."

"Oh, cool. Ok," Jasper said, walking out of the kitchen. He finally took notice of me standing in the hallway. He walked over to me, completely oblivious about my internal turmoil. He took me in his arms and kissed me soundlessly. I saw Edward shift closer to me, but he didn't say anything.

Jasper released me and turned back toward the kitchen. The sound of knocking stopped him before he reached his goal. He opened the door and greeted Alice. She walked in carrying two bottles of white wine. She glanced at me and her face instantly showed worry. Alice always could sense my moods.

I shook my head slightly, indicating that I would tell her all about it later. I pulled out my phone and checked the time. 7:03. I guess it was time to put out the main dish and salad. I walked into the kitchen, purposely avoiding Edward's gaze.

I took the vegetarian casserole out of the oven where it had been warming, along with the chicken dish I had made for the meat eaters. I placed spoons in the dishes and turned to grab the salad out of the refrigerator. I heard someone walk up beside me and I held my breath hoping it wasn't Edward. I couldn't lose it in front of Jasper and Alice.

"B, are you ok?" Alice said in a small voice. "You look like someone just killed your cat or something."

I shook my head at her again, not trusting my voice yet.

"Talk later?" Alice asked.

I nodded, turning my attention back to the salad. I grabbed the salad dressing out of the kitchen and heard another person walk up behind me.

"Well, at least there is some meat here," Jasper scoffed, leaning against the kitchen counter. "Ed, my girl here doesn't eat meat, and she never provides me with good food. I guess her veggie stuff is ok, but sometimes it's barely edible."

I turned slowly to Jasper, unable to contain my rage. "You know what, Jazz? Then don't eat it. Go hungry for all I care."

I slammed the salad down on the counter, ignoring the strange look Jasper shot me. I walked toward the patio pulling on my jacket. After shutting the patio door, I sat down and grabbed a cigarette; I heard the door open.

"Bella?" Edward said, sitting down in the other chair. "Are you ok? Are _we_ ok?"

Unable to look at him, I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm just sick of Jasper saying that about my cooking. I don't have the same diet as him, and I am tired of defending myself to him."

"I'm sorry that he said that about your cooking. It smells amazing, if that helps."

I couldn't resist anymore, so I looked at him. He smiled this perfect half smile that I instantly fell in love with. I smiled back tentatively.

"Thanks."

"You are welcome. Now, you didn't answer my other question."

"Um, we are fine. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm feeling…well, a lot of things." I looked at him again, not willing to elaborate.

"Maybe we could talk another time. When Jazz and Alice aren't here?" He suggested, looking down at his hands.

"That would be nice," I murmured, trying not to take his hands in mine.

"Bells, what the hell was that about?" I turned, hearing Jasper's voice coming from inside. I stood up, squaring my shoulders and looked at him.

"Just forget it, let's eat. And I don't know about you guys, but I need a drink."

Edward chuckled and got up, starting to follow me into the house. Jasper put his hand out stopping Edward's progress.

"Just a second, Ed. I need to talk to you."

Not wanting to intrude, I went back inside and walked toward the couch, where Alice was sitting holding a glass of white wine. She looked up at me, puzzled, before a wide grin spread across her face. I sat down next to her leaning my head back against the couch.

"Nice, B. You tell him!" She giggled, linking her arm with mine.

I smiled at her. "I am just sick of him. After tonight, I think I'm going to end it. He is nothing but an ass to me, and dammit, I shouldn't have to take that kind of treatment just because I'm lonely."

"Good idea! Kick him out on his head; maybe you can knock some sense into that hard head."

"Ali?"

"Yeah, B?"

"What do you think of Edward?" I bit my lip, expecting the worse.

Alice was quiet for a minute before she answered. "Well, he's definitely the most handsome man I've seen in a long time." She said, and my heart fell. She did like him. "But," she said, putting her hand on my arm, causing me to look right into her sparkling eyes. "He only has eyes for you, B."

"Do you think so?"

"Yes. No one stands a chance with that man except you. It's as plain as the nose on that beautiful face." Alice giggled. "But, don't worry about me. I would never do anything to stop true love!"

I gasped and shoved her playfully. "Alice, I just met the man! It's not true love!"

"Oh, B, I have foreseen…."Alice laughed again, putting her fingers up to her temples. I laughed along with her, remembering her physic comment from yesterday. "That you and this man will end up married and live happily ever after."

We both dissolved into giggles, just as Jasper and Edward came inside. Sensing the mood change, the boys walked over to us smiling.

"How about I get us those drinks?" Edward said, smiling at me with the crooked smile I loved.

Jasper's smile seemed tense, but he followed Edward into the kitchen. I could hear clanking and clattering as they began preparing drinks. Soon, Jasper came out holding a beer and a mixed drink. Silently he handed the mixed drink to me and sat down on my favorite chair next to the patio door. Edward came in next holding the two glasses of red wine that I had completely forgotten about. He sat the wine glass down on the coffee table in front of me and turned to sit down in the other chair.

So, there we were: Alice and I sitting on my couch, and the boys sitting across from us in chairs. For about five minutes there was uncomfortable silence as we all continued to drink our drinks. Jasper frowned as I set the mixed drink down and picked up the wine glass instead. Edward, on the other hand, looked like he was suppressing a smile.

"So, what do you want to do tonight?" I asked the room. "Watch a movie, play a game, or turn on the TV and watch the New Year's Eve specials?"

"Watch a movie." Alice piped up.

"Play a game." Jasper declared.

"Which ever you want," Edward said, breaking out into another smile.

"Hmm, we have a three way tie." I said, not elaborating my choice. "So, Edward, it's up to you to break it. Give me a real answer."

I smirked at him as I saw him pondering his choices.

"Turn on the New Year's Eve shows," Edward said, very proud of himself. Jasper groaned, but shifted in his seat to face the TV.

Once the TV was turned on, the evening began to fly by fast. The drinks were consumed at a fast rate, and the edges of my vision began to blur. I remember eating my veggie casserole and thinking it was good; I remember Edward and Alice saying the same thing. But, I lost track of Jasper at some point during the evening.

I was heading out toward the patio for another cigarette when the countdown began toward midnight. I glanced around, seeing only Edward in the living room with me. I looked at him curiously, and he nodded toward the kitchen. I could hear Jasper and Alice talking and laughing, along with the clanging of bottles. They were obviously making more drinks.

Knowing that I was more than half drunk, I looked at Edward again. He was walking slowly toward me. My heart started racing, wondering what he was going to do.

_10…9…8…_

Edward reached for me, putting his hands on either side of my face.

_7…6…5…_

He was gazing into my eyes, and I found that I couldn't breathe. I knew what he was doing, and I couldn't find it in me to stop.

_4…3…2…_

I wound my arms around his waist bringing him in closer to me. He licked his lips and leaned down.

_1…Happy New Year!_

When Edward's lips touched my own the rest of the world dissolved. I could hear my heart pounding furiously in my ears, as I closed my eyes in order to maintain my balance. His lips were soft and sweet, like honey. His warm breath invaded my senses, causing me to moan in his mouth. Slowly, he licked my bottom lip, as if he were asking for entrance. I opened my mouth to him, shifting to the left to allow entrance. His tongue darted into my mouth causing us both to moan.

My hands moved from his waist to the front of his shirt, gripping the fabric so tight until my fingers hurt. His hands moved down from my face, sliding down my side until he was gripping me at my waist. My shirt had ridden up just a bit, causing a little skin to be exposed above my jeans. I felt his fingers on the flesh of my stomach, and I gasped into his mouth again.

His hands slid under my shirt completely, surrounding my back. I found that I couldn't breathe. His mouth was still on mine; his hands were on the skin of my back…and I couldn't breathe. I began to tremble as he slid his mouth away from mine, kissing down my neck. I couldn't stop shaking as I attempting to catch my breath.

_Jasper has never kissed me like this,_ I thought to myself. Suddenly, through my alcohol muddled brain, I realized what we were doing. I pushed Edward and stepped away from him. I felt the skin on my back go from hot to freezing cold, noticing the absence of his hands immediately. I touched my mouth slowly, feeling my swollen lips as I stared at him in shock.

Edward was breathing as heavily as I was, and his shock mirrored my own. He looked amazing; there was a small tint of red on his cheeks, his hair was messy and sticking out in all directions. His beautiful green eyes were black with desire, and his hands were clenched at his sides.

"Jasper," I heard from the other room. It was Alice's voice; she sounded weird. Both Edward and I turned to face the kitchen. We were shocked at what we saw. Jasper and Alice were locked in a tight embrace, kissing madly.

I turned to look at Edward; his eyes were wide with shock. He looked at me and smiled slightly before stepping closer to me. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around his neck, putting my hands in his hair.

He brought his lips down to mine and, once again, the world faded away. His arms wrapped around my back again. I lost myself to him completely. His breath came out swiftly as he pulled me even closer.

Bracing myself again, I pulled away from him so I could breathe. We both glanced toward Jasper and Alice, only to discover they were no longer standing in the kitchen. I walked toward the spare bedroom curiously. I saw that the door was closed and I heard Alice and Jasper moaning on the other side of the door.

Edward chuckled behind me. But when I turned to look at him the chuckle was replaced by a look of intense passion. I walked toward my bedroom, knowing he was following me. When I got to my door, I pushed it open, and I turned to look at him again. I questioned him with my eyes, unable to verbalize what I was thinking. He licked his lips and nodded slightly.

We walked into my bedroom, and he closed the door behind him.

**A/N: *ducks* I know you all hate me for ending right there. Chapter 7 is in the works and should be posted in the next few days. **

**In the meantime, leave me your thoughts!**


	7. Chapter 7 Mistake

**A/N: So, here is the chapter you have been waiting for!**

****Lemon warning****

**See you at the end!**

Chapter 7 – Mistake

"It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link of the chain of destiny can be handled at a time."

Winston Churchill

EPOV

I closed the door silently behind me, carefully watching Bella. She was biting her lip again…a gesture I was beginning to both love and hate. I loved it because it made her look so damn sexy. I hated it because it meant that she was nervous. I didn't want her to feel nervous about me.

I took a tentative step toward her. I wanted to take her into my arms immediately, but for some reason I knew I had to tread carefully. The whole evening had been a swirl of emotions. I was furious at Jasper for the way he treated her; overwhelming lust as I watched her move, laugh and sip her wine. Confusion at the admiration I felt for her. In one evening, Bella Swan had completely turned my life around.

Bella held her hand out to me, and I grasped it tightly. She led me to her bed until her legs touched the edge. I stepped closer to her and wound my arms around her, gazing into her beautiful eyes.

"Are you ok?" I whispered, desperate for the answer.

She nodded and moved to stand on her toes. Her hands wove through my hair as she tugged me down to her lips. I almost exploded around her when her lips touched mine again. She smelled of wine, cigarettes and strawberries. Her breath on my face was warm and sweet, and it made my heart start beating faster.

All of the confusion over the evening swirled away as my mind and body concentrated fully on Bella. Her hands still in my hair began to tug gently, indicating her need. Unable to breathe, I stepped back from her for just a second. I rested my forehead on hers, trying desperately to center myself and gain some control. I knew that we were both drunk. I didn't want to make a mistake because I wasn't thinking clearly.

But I couldn't resist her. I couldn't resist the feeling of home being in her arms. I couldn't resist the urge to kiss her again, and I certainly couldn't resist the way her tongue slid slowly across her lips.

Bella shifted slightly, so she could look into my eyes. "Edward," I almost groaned at the way she said my name. "I want you. More than I've ever wanted anyone."

I smiled down at her and leaned in to kiss her again. Who was I to deny this beautiful creature anything? Her breath became erratic, as I deepened this kiss-pushing my tongue into her mouth. With more confidence, I pulled my arms from around her waist and began unbuttoning her shirt. Bella slid her hands down my back, tugging at the edge of my shirt. I leaned back just enough for her to slip the shirt over my head. By that time, I had finished unbuttoning her shirt. I slid it down her arms, letting it fall to the floor.

My hands began shaking as I brought them up her back, unclasping her bra. It tumbled forward, and I let it slide to the floor as well. With a sharp intake of breath, I looked down at the most perfect, beautiful breasts I had ever seen. This woman continually surprised me. I kept waiting for something to show me that she wasn't perfect, but that never happened. She _was_ perfect.

I pushed her gently to the bed. She slid up the bed until she was positioned right in the middle of it. Slowly, I unbuttoned my jeans, letting them pool at my feet. I kicked them off, leaving my boxers on. I didn't want to rush this moment. She was perfection and desire in one small package. I couldn't contain myself for long…but I wanted to savor her.

I crawled up the bed, as Bella held her arms out to me. Positioning my knees on either side of her legs, I bent down and swiftly kissed her stomach. I kissed all the way down to the start of her jeans, unbuttoning them. She lifted her hips, as I slid her jeans down. I lowered my head and began kissing her ankle; kissing up her leg until I reached her core. I could smell her arousal, but as much as I wanted to taste her, I knew our first time needed to be special. I wanted it to be slow and comforting, rather than fast and aggressive.

Sliding over her core, I began kissing up her stomach. As I got to her chest, I placed open mouth kisses on her breasts, concentrating my tongue on her hard nipples. She arched her back into me and moaned, fisting her hands in my hair again. As I moved to the other breast, I positioned my legs in-between hers. Her hips bucked into me, causing me to groan and push against her. My erection was becoming painful and pressing it against her was making it even worse.

Tearing myself away from her breasts, I kissed up her chest sucking and licking up her neck. Once I was completely on top of her, she wound her legs around me and threaded her hands in my hair. She pulled me closer to her and crashed her lips against mine. We both moaned at the contact. I pressed myself to her core again and again until we were both panting.

I braced myself on my arms and gazed lovingly at her. "Are you ready for me, beautiful?"

She nodded solemnly. I sat back putting my fingers on either side of her underwear. I slid them down her legs and threw them off the bed. I took her entire body in; gazing everywhere. She really was perfect.

"So beautiful-so perfect," I murmured, sliding my boxers down, throwing them to the floor as well. Then I slid up her body until I was on top of her again. Her legs quickly moved to tighten around me, as I reached down to line myself up to her. I looked at her raising an eyebrow, asking her permission. She nodded again, and I slowly pushed into her.

My body felt alive with sensations. She was tight and wet beyond belief. I couldn't believe that I had the good fortune to meet her…and that she was so perfectly suited for me. Her body molded to mine with no complications or awkwardness. It was like she was specifically made for me.

I pulled out and pushed back into her slowly, attempting to adjust to the feel of her around me. She squirmed slightly, and I gazed down into her eyes. She smiled at me, as I lowered my mouth to hers; continuing to move inside of her.

"Oh, baby, you feel incredible," I whispered. She was my whole world…she made everything feel right. She was home to me now.

"Edward," she whispered against my mouth. "I've never felt like this before. Have you?"

"No, beautiful. You are the only one who has ever been like this for me." My mouth claimed hers again. I hitched her leg up in order to position myself deeper inside of her. She gasped, and I felt her start to constrict.

Knowing that she was close, I sped up just a bit, so that we could come together. "Come for me, baby," I said, kissing down her neck. Her hands grasped my shoulders tighter and began meeting me thrust for thrust. Just as I knew I couldn't take anymore, she tightened around me. She exploded, moaning and gasping my name, as her body arched off the bed.

I slowed down and rocked with her as I came hard. My eyes were unable to open fully and there were stars and shining lights everywhere. My forehead rested against hers as we both attempted to control our breathing.

"Shit," I cursed, extracting myself from her grasp. She looked up at me with fear in her eyes. I chuckled and planted a quick kiss before I pulled myself off the bed. "I forgot to use protection. I was so caught up in the moment that I just forgot."

She smiled shyly at me. "It's ok, I didn't think about it either."

I walked into the bathroom, cleaning myself off before heading back to her room. She had covered herself with a sheet and was gazing at me. Her eyelids were heavy; her smile was sweet. I crawled onto the bed and lay down facing her. I put my hand on her cheek.

"I know that wasn't the right way to do this. I should have protected you…and I should have let you deal with Jazz first," I smiled at her. "But, damn I'm glad that happened."

"Me, too. You really took me by surprise!" We laughed together. She slid a little closer to me. "I will break up with Jasper tomorrow morning. As if it would make a difference that we slept together…he is obviously sleeping with my best friend right now!"

I laughed a little harder. "Oh, yeah, I had forgotten about that." I sat up a little and looked deep into her eyes. "I can't even explain to you how amazing that was for me. I felt more connected to you than I have with anyone else in my entire life. And, Bella, you deserve better than my brother. I want to take care of you, love you and make you mine for eternity. You are so special, Bella. And, if you let me, I will spend the rest of my life showing you just what you mean to me."

I immediately sensed the error of my words. I was trying to tell her everything that was in my heart, but she froze and pulled away from me. Her eyes were wide with shock as she placed both hands on my chest holding me back.

"What are you saying exactly, Edward?" Bella said slowly.

What was I saying? Then, without a doubt in my heart or mind, I said the first words that came to me. "Marry me, Bella."

Bella jumped up from the bed and grabbed her bathrobe quickly covering herself up. "What the hell are you talking about? We barely know each other!"

I jumped up and circled my arms around her. With her hair in my face, I began trying to calm her. "Beautiful, we know each other a lot better now. You said it yourself; you have never felt that way before. Neither have I! Being with you was the single most enjoyable moment of my life. Now that I've had you, I don't want to let you go.

"Baby, please, just think about my offer. I don't expect you to answer me right now, of course, but just know that I am here now and I want you. You are my life now," I said simply. She needed to know how I felt.

Bella pushed away from me as her arms wrapped around her stomach. "Please tell me you are joking," she whispered, unable to meet my eyes.

"No, beautiful, I'm not joking."

"Listen to me carefully, Edward. What we just did was amazing, yes, but it was wrong! I don't care what Jazz and Ali are doing in the next room, I never should have let it get this far with you. I knew you were going to mean trouble for me the first second I laid my eyes on you. And I was right.

"Edward, I had a great time with you tonight. I have never been with anyone that made me feel the way you do. But," she paused as my heart began to constrict-whether in pain or in love, I couldn't tell. "I can't marry you after just one night."

Suddenly, I was upset. I poured my heart and soul out to this girl, and she was rejecting me. Well, I wasn't going to sit and take that. Furious, I began pulling my clothes on. My anger was so fierce that I was almost seeing red, as I turned to face her. I buttoned my jeans and didn't put my shirt on yet.

"Bella, you and I are meant for each other. I could feel it when I touched you for the first time, when you said my name and when you screamed as you came undone in my arms. I gave myself to you fully because the electricity between us was so strong I couldn't hold back. My heart and my soul were yours from the first time we touched – no! It was yours from the first second I heard your voice. I can't believe that you don't feel the way I do. Maybe you just need time to figure it out."

I grabbed my shoes, shoving them on my feet. I walked toward her bedroom door and put my hand on the handle. Without turning and looking at her, because it was just too painful, I said, "Just don't take too long. I won't wait forever."

I shut her bedroom door behind me and walked into the living room. I heard a sob coming from her room. I almost turned around to run back to her. I stopped myself, saying that she needed to figure out how she felt all on her own. I couldn't force her to feel something for me…and I certainly didn't want to try.

I took my jacket off the coat hanger and shrugged it on. I glanced back at her door, which was still closed. With my heart in my throat, I opened the door and closed it behind me.

**A/N: **runs and ducks behind a desk** **

**Ok, ok I know you all hate me right now…but this really WAS necessary for the overall story! Please, please stick with me here…I do have a plan **


	8. Chapter 8 The Morning After

**A/N: So, New Year's Eve is over and there will be ramifications from that night. This is only the first stage of the aftermath. **

**I see this story is several stages, and this chapter is starting stage 2. I hope you are enjoying reading my little story.**

Chapter 8 – The Morning After

"Guilt is anger directed at ourselves - at what we did or did not do. Resentment is anger directed at others - at what they did or did not do."

Peter McWilliams

APOV

I woke up with a start. Blinding pain seared through my head starting with my eyes. I brought my hands up to my eyes realizing that the sun was shining directly on me. _What the hell happened last night?_ I thought to myself with a groan. I removed my hands from my eyes, as I glanced around the small room.

I was in Bella's spare room…I had stayed here often enough to recognize that. I continued to look around the room when I realized that I wasn't alone in bed. Jasper was lying next to me in bed, and it looked like he was naked. Horrified, I sat up quickly and looked down. The sheet had slidden off my body, revealing that I was naked also.

_Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!_ I repeated over and over in my head. _I slept with Bella's boyfriend! What the hell is wrong with me?_

I slipped out of bed as quietly as I could, grabbing for my clothing on the floor. Desperate to get out of that room and away from the reality of the situation, I began dressing as fast as I could.

"Bells?" Jasper stirred, sitting up slightly. His eyes caught sight of me, still trying to get my bra on, and widened from shock. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"I was just going to ask you the same thing!" I said as quietly as I could. My head was still pounding. "We got really drunk last night, and my head is killing me…But I don't remember going to bed with you!" I practically shrieked at him.

He continued to stare at me with wide eyes, which was beginning to annoy me. "What?" I asked him, letting a small growl out of my mouth.

"Your neck," he said simply, pointing. I ran to the mirror on the side of the wall. I jumped when I saw the deep purple bruises on the sides of my neck. I turned my accusing stair on Jasper and jumped at him before I realized I was still half naked.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you a vampire? It looks like you tried to kill me!" I yelled, pounding my small fists into his chest. He easily deflected me, pulling his arms around me until I stopped thrashing.

"Alice, this was a mistake," he whispered to me, still trying to calm me down. "We'll sneak out and never tell Bella what happened." I started shaking my head and his arms squeezed me tighter. "It will be ok; she never has to know."

I stared at him, totally conflicted. I couldn't hurt Bella like this. I knew she didn't care for Jasper that much and was planning on breaking up with him anyway, but this was a violation of the trust she had in me. Horrible, terrifying guilt began to press down on me, as the tears began pouring out of my eyes.

Jasper continued to hold me against his chest, gently stroking my back. He murmured reassurances that I couldn't quite believe. For a moment-just a moment-I felt comforted. Jasper's touch was pleasant and I had a flash of memory from last night.

_Jasper's hands cupped my cheeks as I slid my hands down his shirt, unbuttoning it as I went. He shivered against my hands on his bare chest, sliding his hands down my arms. The alcohol had made my brain fuzzy, but I felt completely alive for the first time in my life. His hot kisses were leaving a trail of burning fire on my neck._

_My shirt was quickly discarded; along with my bra and pants. Jasper ran his hands over the length of my body and I couldn't control the ache in my core. I wanted this man with all of my being; I knew that if I didn't have him soon the ache would consume me. _

I snapped out of the memory quickly, sitting up to look at Jasper. I leaned my head down and kissed him slowly. My body reacted to his presence, again, and I realized that what I felt for him last night wasn't just the alcohol. I truly wanted this man.

Jasper sat up and pushed me away, staring at me. "What are you doing?" He accused, jumping off the bed looking for his clothes.

I squirmed, not wanting to admit how much I enjoyed the kiss. I hung my head for a minute, realizing that he definitely didn't want me back. The intensity of the rejection hit me hard, as it always did, and I tried to pull myself out of the immediate depression that hit.

I knew that I would have to tell Bella, and that scared me. I love her like a sister and was terrified that she would be angry with me. A small part of me hoped that she was just angry with Jasper. I smirked at that thought, getting up to find my clothes.

I heard a clanking in the kitchen and the smirk was immediately gone. I looked at Jasper, who was frozen listening to the noise in the kitchen. He looked at me and in a flash was pulling his shoes on, running out the door.

_Dammit! He's going to get to her before I do!_ I mentally screamed at myself, throwing my clothes on in record time. I was terrified that he was going to blame me for the whole thing, so I ran into the kitchen skidding to a halt in front of Bella.

She didn't look up from the sink, where she was rinsing some of the glasses from the night before. She pointedly ignored both Jasper and me.

Jasper was the first to speak. "Bells, listen-"

Bella cut him off, finally look at him. The anger in her eyes almost burned Jasper as she shouted, "Jazz, don't you even dare. I saw you two last night all over each other in my kitchen. I know what you did, and I know you. You are going to try to blame Alice for this whole situation." Her gaze flickered to me briefly, before locking on Jasper again. "You and I were over a long time ago, I just chose to ignore it. You have treated me badly, talked nasty to me, ignored my diet and finally slept with my best friend. I want you out of my house."

Her voice softened a little. "Jasper," she began, shifting away from the sink. "We both know that this wasn't going to last. Truth is I'm not even that mad at you. I'm just…done."

Jasper looked at her with a look of confusion and shock. She continued, slowly. "Maybe, someday, we can be friends. But for now, I think you should leave."

He stared at her for a second before spinning on his heels, grabbing his coat and slamming the front door. Bella glanced at me warily, before grabbing her coffee cup and walking toward the patio. She shrugged her jacket on and stepped outside, lighting a cigarette.

I was terrified…and I was starting to shake. How could I have possibly done this to my best friend? I walked out to the patio, knowing that I would have to face the music sooner or later. I grabbed my pack out of my purse and stepped outside to join Bella.

She didn't say anything for a few minutes. Just when I was about to talk, she looked at me. "I'm not mad at you, Ali."

"Oh, B, I'm still so sorry!" I cried, close to tears. "I never meant for that to happen. I don't even remember most of it!"

Bella attempted a smile, but wasn't quite successful. She took a slow drag of her cigarette and exhaled without saying anything. I studied her for a moment. She looked different…She had dark circles under eyes, which were bloodshot. The crinkle between her eyebrows, that only showed up when she was thinking very hard, was predominant and unrelenting. Her lips were spread in a straight thin line.

Noticing my scrutiny, Bella looked at me. I could read her moods fairly well. Looking into her eyes I could tell exactly what-or who-happened.

"What did he do, B?" I whispered quietly, taking another drag from my cigarette.

Bella sighed. She leaned over and rested her head on my shoulder. I leaned my head into hers and waited for her to talk. We were silent for a few minutes. I knew Bella was trying to figure out where to start. Finally, she sat back up and sighed, looking at me.

"Ali, I am such an idiot," she started, taking another drag of her cigarette. I started to protest but she stopped me. "Please, just let me get through this.

"Edward and I saw you and Jasper kissing last night. We were both drunk and had been fighting the attraction all evening. To say I was drawn to him would be a huge understatement. His smell, his eyes…his very being called to me since the first second I saw him. I didn't know that kind of attraction existed in real life." She laughed for a few seconds, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It was stupid, rash and teenager-ish…but I can't find it in me to apologize for it."

I remained quiet while she explained her night with Edward. Their lovemaking, the conversation afterward and then how he subsequently left the apartment. She told me how she fell apart after he left; how she turned into a sobbing mess with her chest hurting so much from the pain. I shifted in my seat so I could see her better.

"Ali," Bella said, letting the tears stream down her face. "He was gentle and sweet. He said all the right things…things that all women dream their men will say. He said all of these things after we were together, not before!"

Bella bit her lip, glancing down at her cigarette. "I fear that I made a huge mistake. I should have been calmer, talked it out with him or something; promised to think about the proposal, tried to date him at least. He never said that I had to give him an answer right away. Maybe he would have let me think about it for a while?"

I took a drag of my cigarette, staring at her intently. She and Edward had a connection; I noticed it from the first few minutes after I had arrived the night before. There was something special there. Something that Bella was obviously not ready for. I wanted to comfort her…to say the right thing. But, as always, words failed me.

"B?" I said tentatively, knowing that she was waiting for a response. "I don't have the right words to say to you, but any idiot can see how crazy you two are for each other. It practically radiated off of you last night. I don't know if you can, but B…" I leaned over and placed my hand on her arm. "…make it right."

BPOV

Telling Alice about Edward had made me feel a little better. She had told me to make it right; honestly I had no idea how to do that. I was serious; I couldn't marry him after just one night. Yes, I felt a pull toward him. Yes, I had never felt like this about anyone. Yes, he was handsome. But it wasn't just that; there was more to it than that. Staring into his eyes last night as we made love I saw a depth in them. His beautiful green eyes seemed to be endless. He meant what he said about caring about me…I just know he did.

My heart started to race at mere thought of him. Alice was getting ready to leave, but she looked at my face and broke out into a huge grin. I smiled guiltily at her, knowing she could always sense what I was feeling.

I walked Alice to the door, wishing she didn't have to go so soon. In truth, we had been awake chatting for over an hour. Time always flew when Alice and I were talking. I really just felt like I needed her with me. That somehow she would help me figure out what I could do from here.

"Ali, are you sure you don't want to just take a shower here?" I asked, for the third time.

"B, no offence, but I want my shower…with my shampoo and my showerhead!" Alice laughed, hugging me tightly. When she leaned back, her smile disappeared to be replaced by a determined look. "You will figure this out, B. I know you will. You are the strongest person I know."

"Thanks, Ali. I wish I had your confidence."

"B, I am about as confident as a snail crossing the road," Alice joked, slinging her purse onto her shoulder. "You are strong, have always been strong and will always be strong. I love you, B, and I just know that this will work out for you."

I couldn't say anything, as my throat began to close up again. Alice's unfathomable faith in me was almost scary at times. She was strong, too, but she couldn't admit it to herself. She feared relationships almost more than I do; Alice had seen some shit in her life. She had told me about most of it, but I had a feeling there was more to it.

I hugged her again, still unable to speak. She understood, smiled at me again and left. As soon as she was gone I felt the depression sink in. Slowly, I walked from room to room picking up the remnants of the party. I didn't really want to clean, but it gave me something to do.

Too soon, I found my apartment clean. I wandered into my room, slipping into the shower. I washed myself quickly, but stayed letting the hot water seep over my body. I thought about Edward's hands touching me; his lips kissing me and him slipping inside of me. My body started to tremble as the water began to turn cold. I switched the water off, sitting down in my shower.

I let the misery envelope me…this new man, who was nothing but a faint mention before two days ago, had captured my heart; my soul. In every way, he consumed me. His breath was intoxicating; his touch eliciting sounds from me than I never knew I could make. At this thought, I let the tears flow. The sobs raked my body as I shivered on the floor of my shower. I had no notion to get up; no inkling that I could heal from this.

Shaking, I pulled up my knees, resting my head on them. I cried so hard that I began to fall asleep. In my sleep filled head, I dreamt that two strong warm arms picked me up, dried me off and placed me tenderly in bed.

In my dream, the mystery man even kissed my forehead. As I let sleep fully take me, I wondered if I was finally going crazy.

**A/N: So, what do you think? Any opinions on what's going on, or where things are headed? I would love to hear from you!**


	9. Chapter 9 Regrets

**A/N: Thank you all for reading! Now we are caught up with the written chapters. From now on, the chapters will be coming out approximately once a week or so.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! I'll see you at the end…**

Chapter 9 – Regrets

"I started with the firm conviction that when I came to the end, I wanted to be regretting the things that I had done, not the things I hadn't."

Michael Caine

EPOV

I was sleeping when I heard the pounding on my front door. Oh, who was I kidding? I wasn't sleeping…I was staring at the ceiling in my bedroom missing Bella so much it hurt. Regardless, I was in bed when I heard the pounding. Worried, I rushed to the door seeing Jasper the angriest I have ever seen him. Well, Jasper usually ran pretty hot, so maybe that's not true either.

At the party yesterday, I still remembered how angry he was when he confronted me on Bella's patio. She had just gone inside; I was about to follow her, but he stopped my progress.

"_Ed, what the hell? Are you siding with her?" Jasper said, folding his arms across his chest like a child. He stared at me defiantly, just waiting for a response._

_I sighed, looking at my little brother. "Jazz, what are you talking about? Siding with whom about what?"_

"_With Bella about her food. I heard you say that you thought it smelled good! You just made me the bad guy!" Jasper all but shouted at me._

_I had enough…this was crazy. "Ok, Jazz, that's enough. What is wrong with you? You come into your _girlfriend's _house and immediately start criticizing her cooking? How the hell did I not know that you turned into an ass overnight? You don't treat your girlfriend like that, Jasper Cullen, and dammit, you know that! What would mom have to say if I told her what you said to Bella?"_

_Jasper's face went pale. Threatening to tell Esme Cullen was the worst threat either of us ever found growing up. He shook his head slightly, staring at me. He was probably trying to gauge if I was telling the truth or not._

"_I am sure that mother would be appalled that I don't get decent food here." Jasper huffed. I groaned, leaned over and grabbed his shirt collar._

"_Listen to me, you little weasel," I began, oddly happy at the look of panic on Jasper's face. "You can't treat her like that. Bella is special: one of a kind. You better start treating her with respect, or not only will I tell mom about how you treat Bella, but I'll also throw you off the nearest balcony."_

_I let go of Jasper and began walking toward the patio door. I turned to stare at him. He had a look of determination on his face._

"_Don't even think about it, you moron," I sighed. Sometimes it was scary how well I knew my brother. He looked like he was about to jump on me and fight. But, I was done with him. I needed to get back to my Bella._

I shook myself away from the memory of that conversation. Instead, I concentrated on a disheveled and slightly bruised looking Jasper at my front door. His hair was a complete mess, which was very unusual, and it looked like he put his shirt on inside out and backwards. His eyes were bloodshot, and his neck was covered in what I could only assume were hickeys. I chuckled to myself. _Way to go, Alice,_ I thought to myself, still chuckling.

"Jazz…morning," I said, trying to control my smile. I opened the door a little wider so he could come in. He walked in and threw himself on the couch.

"She dumped me, Ed. She was awake when Alice and I got up…and she just fucking dumped me!" Jasper threw his head back and leaned it against the couch.

I covered the next smile out of necessity. No reason for Jasper to see how happy I was about that. "Bummer, man," was all I could say.

"Seriously? The love of my life breaks up with me, and all you can say is '_bummer_'?'" Jasper sat up, glaring at me angrily.

"Listen, bro, last night I told you not to treat her badly, remember? Also, she and I both saw you and Alice making out in the kitchen…right before you made it to Bella's spare room." I walked over to the couch, sitting next to him. "What the hell did you think was going to happen? Did you think Bella would say, 'no, Jasper, it's fine that you treat me like crap.' Or, 'it's ok, go ahead and sleep with my best friend; it's cool.' Seriously yourself, dude. What the hell were you thinking?"

"Ugh, I don't know!" Jasper grumbled, sitting forward in the couch leaning his head on his hands. "I only have flashes of last night. I must have drunk more than I have before, because most of the night is a blur."

"I'd say that the evidence of last night is written all over your neck," I said, chuckling again. His eyes shot to mine, his head snapping up. He rushed to the hallway bathroom, presumably to make sure I wasn't just teasing him.

"Fuck!" I heard Jasper exclaim from the bathroom. I couldn't contain myself any longer; this time I just full on laughed. After a few minutes, I heard Jasper join me back in the living room. He sat down with a huff, staring at me while I laughed. "This is not funny!"

I laughed a little harder, patting him on the back. "It's a little funny, from this side, anyway." I sobered quickly, staring at him. "So, now what? Bella gave you what you deserved, as far as I could tell. But, what about Alice? Are you going to try dating her?"

Jasper stared at me for a minute before answering. "Are you fucking kidding me? She's not my type at all! She's a mouse!"

"Jazz, it looks like you had a good time last night, and maybe Alice is perfect for you. How do you know unless you give it a try?"

"Oh, please," Jasper scoffed, standing up quickly. "I'm done with both of them. Alice ruined what I had with Bella, and Bella wouldn't even listen to me! I'm tired of this crap. I'm going to find a chick that will actually put out and feed me right."

I started to protest, but Jasper was already headed out the door. I shook my head at his complete stupidity. He apparently had much to learn. I sighed, standing up from the couch. I guess I did also. I had handled last night all wrong, but I was going to fix it today. I can't walk away from her.

I quickly took a shower, and dressed carefully. I was planning on going back to Bella's; hoping that she would listen to me, and would give us a try. I was just about to leave my apartment when my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, but opted to answer it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Edward?" A small voice almost whispered.

"Yes, this is Edward. Can I help you?" I sat down at my kitchen table, waiting for them to get to the point. I assumed it was a telemarketer or something.

"Uh, ok, Edward, this is Alice….Bella's friend?" She said as if she were asking. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, Alice, this is fine. What can I do for you?" I chuckled.

"I'm really sorry to bother you, but I got this number from Bella's phone while she was in the bathroom," she said in a rushed voice. "I, um, I know what happened between you two last night."

I sucked in a sharp breath, waiting for her to continue. It wasn't that I was surprised that Bella had shared last night with Alice, but I was bracing myself for what Alice was going to say next. Was she planning on yelling at me for Bella?

When I didn't say anything, Alice continued with a shaky voice. "So, anyway, I just wanted to talk to you, because I don't think Bella will. And, please, I don't know you very well, but you have to understand that I am only thinking about Bella here. Just let me get through what I have to say before you comment, ok?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, dreading what was coming. Was Alice psychic, knowing that I was heading over to Bella's, and she called to stop me? "Ok, Alice, go ahead. I promise not to interrupt you."

"Thanks, Edward." Alice seemed more confident now that she knew I was going to listen. I heard her take a deep breath before continuing. I also noticed that I was holding my breath. "So, you probably heard already that Bella broke up with Jasper this morning. And, uh, I'm sure you are aware of what happened between Jasper and me last night. What you don't know is that Bella and I talked after Jasper left this morning. I have never seen her look so hurt, and I'm including when I first saw her after Charlie died! I thought she was mad and upset at me, but she wasn't. Edward, she was upset about losing you. I don't want to share too much, because Bella trusted me with this. But, I have to tell you that she needs you. More than you can possibly know.

"I watched you two last night; I could see it even if you guys couldn't. You both looked at each other like there was no one else in the room. I'm not stupid enough to think that doesn't mean something."

She paused for a second, and I found that I could finally let out my breath. Alice was saying exactly what I wanted to hear.

"Edward," Alice continued. "She was falling apart when I left. As soon as I got to the door, I could see it in her face. I am hoping that you aren't doing anything else today, because Bella really needs you."

I stiffened. "How bad, Alice?"

"Bad. I left the door unlocked, and hopefully she was so out of it that she didn't notice." Alice hesitated before continuing. "Edward, can you check on her for me?"

"Of course I will, Alice," I sighed, standing up from the couch. I decided to go for broke. "I….do love her, Alice."

Alice giggled just a little. "I know you do. That's why I stole your number from her phone to call you. I'm going to tell you the same thing that I told her this morning before I left. Make it right."

I smiled at that. Alice and I are going to get along just fine. "You got it, squirt. I am leaving right now."

I hung up the phone with Alice feeling much better. If she could see something between Bella and me, then I definitely had a chance. I continued toward the door with more confidence, but also worried about how bad Bella would be when I got there.

I half ran and half walked to my car. I raced through the empty Reno streets, sure that most people were still in bed. The day was quite cold and looked like it would start snowing at any moment. But, that didn't make me deter from my goal. It hardly ever snowed enough to be a concern, but even if it did I would rather be with Bella than away from her.

Once I arrived at her apartment complex, I strode easily up to her door. I considered walking in without knocking, given what Alice had told me, but I just didn't think that was appropriate. I knocked a few times, but it went unanswered. Finally, I decided that I couldn't take it anymore. I tried the door handle, and, miraculously, it was unlocked. I let myself in quietly, shutting and locking the door behind me.

I walked through her apartment slowly trying to determine where she was. When I reached Bella's bedroom, I heard the shower running. I opened the bathroom door quietly, only to be met with a heartbreaking sight.

Bella was sitting on the floor of her shower, sobbing, while holding her knees to her chest. She was shivering, which made me suspect that the shower water was no longer warm. She didn't look up and register my presence in the bathroom. Nor did she budge when I reached in to turn the water off. Her eyelids drooped closed, only to snap open again a few seconds later. I could tell she was exhausted.

Carefully, I picked her up out of the cold shower. I placed her on the edge of the tub and dried her off. I was being as gentle as I could be, hoping to avoid scaring her. But my fear went unfounded. Her eyes continued to close and open, indicating that she was really out of it. She never took any notice of me.

Once I had dried her off, I carried her to the bed laying her down gently. I debated on getting her a nightgown, but her eyes closed and didn't look like they would reopen. Rather than disturb her, I pulled the covers around her. I kissed her forehead, only to be shocked at how cold she still was. I turned off the light in her room and went in search of another blanket in the living room. I found one, grabbed it, and went back to Bella. I covered her with another blanket and then slid into bed with her.

Wrapping my arms around her, I felt complete again. The few hours that we were apart had made me feel broken…like half of me was missing. This small beautiful girl made me feel complete; I couldn't lose her again.

I continued to hold her, just listening to her even breathing. I wondered if she had slept at all the night before, after I left. I sure hadn't, but what about her? Alice said she was falling apart, and I had certainly witnessed that. But, why? She seemed adamant about us not being a couple. Right?

I began replaying my conversation with Bella over in my head. There were several key things that she said to me that I had blocked out. I heard only part of what she said, realizing that she couldn't marry me and that she felt bad about Jasper.

"_Edward, I had a great time with you tonight. I have never been with anyone that made me feel the way you do. But, I can't marry you after just one night."_

She had never said that she wouldn't date me, just that she couldn't marry me after one night. Why had I reacted the way I did? She was refusing me, she was saying that I had asked her too soon. _Dammit!_ I swore to myself. _I am an idiot!_

I shifted closer to my reason for existing. Her breathing was still even, but she shifted closer to me as well. Finally, as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders, I began to relax. I knew where I had gone wrong and what she was trying to tell me. I vowed, as I breathed in the smell of her damp hair, that I would make it right, as Alice advised.

I glanced at the clock by the bed; it was only 9:30. It hadn't even been twelve full hours since we had been together. There was still plenty of time to salvage this relationship.

**A/N: I'm very curious to see what you all think of my little story so far. Let me hear from you!**

**See you next week!**


	10. Chapter 10 Stupidity

**A/N: Hi! So sorry that this chapter is late! RL has been very different lately. But, here is chapter 10. I hope you enjoy it!**

Chapter 10 – Stupidity

"Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped."

Elbert Hubbard

BPOV

I became aware of my surroundings very slowly. The last thing I could remember was sitting on the floor of the shower as the water ran cold. The night before had been so full of stress and strain that I found myself succumbing to a deep sleep. Unfortunately, my sleep was haunted by Edward. I saw his face, his kind smile and felt his warm body next to mine. I swear that I could still feel him, that I could even smell him. He had an earthy scent consisting of cinnamon, coffee and mint.

I quickly opened my eyes and was met with Edward's beautiful, green ones staring back at me. I sat up and turned my body to face him. He mirrored my actions and was careful to not touch me.

"Crap," I said, curling my knees up to my chest.

Edward reached out to touch my face, but I pulled away from him. "What's wrong, beautiful?"

I sighed. "I'm dreaming, right? You aren't really here."

Edward chuckled, but didn't comment.

"Either that, or I'm dead. I stayed in the cold water for too long and got hypothermia and died." I breathed in and out slowly, testing myself. "Double crap. This is going to kill Alice."

"Bella, love, you aren't asleep, and you aren't dead either. I'm here, beautiful," Edward whispered, leaning his head closer to me. I placed my hand on his chest, attempting to push him away from me. The steady thumping of his heart brought me around to reality. Edward _was_ here. He was here when I had needed him so badly.

"Oh, Edward!" I almost screamed, throwing myself at him. "I'm so sorry about last night. I should have let you talk, we could have talked more—or-or, maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all!" I knew I was rambling, but I couldn't escape the joy that was overwhelming me. Burying my head in his neck, I felt the tears streaming down my face.

Edward wound his arms tight around me, stroking my hair and whispering softly to me, "Beautiful, shhh. Don't cry. I promise you, everything will be just fine."

I nodded, wiping my hands across my eyes, hoping the tears would stop. Edward leaned back a bit and wiped my eyes dry. He kissed my nose, earning a soft chuckle from me. I stared into his eyes, contemplating my next words.

Touching his face softly, I stared in wonder at just how beautiful he was. He had a slight stubble, which made exploring his face all the more interesting. My finger traced over his lips, which parted slightly at my touch. His eyes visibly darkened as I touched him—perhaps I had more of an effect on him than I thought.

Even though his eyes were pulling me towards him, I couldn't succumb yet. "Edward," I began, shifting slightly. "Before we do anything, maybe we should talk?"

Edward exhaled sharply, looking relieved. "Yes, beautiful, I think that's a great idea. Me first?"

I nodded, sitting up and putting a little distance between us. I didn't think clearly when he was so close to me.

"Bella, last night was amazing. I've never felt closer to anyone in my whole life." He shifted a little, and a look of regret flashed on his face. "I am so sorry about the way that I treated you. I was overwhelmed by the emotional charge I found with you. I was terrified of you slipping through my fingers, and I wanted to do, or say, something that would keep you with me. But," he whispered, bringing his hand up to my face, "I never should have pushed you. And for that, beautiful, I am terribly sorry."

Sitting there, frozen, I was unable to speak. Edward was apologizing to me for asking me to marry him—to be with him. This whole thing was completely my fault—ruining the wonderful night we had had and having a stupid commitment-phobic moment. My feelings for this beautiful man were extremely complicated, and I was having a lot of trouble trying to determine how I should proceed.

_How much can I tell Edward about my past? I just met him…can I _truly_ trust him?_

As all these confusing thoughts swirled around in my head, Edward sat patiently, waiting for my reply. His hand continued to lightly stroke my cheek, bringing extraordinary comfort. I gazed at him, trying to believe that he was really here with me.

As I stared into his eyes, I knew. I knew that he would leave me some day—that I would never be enough for him. But for now, for _right_ _now_, he was here, and I was going to enjoy my time with him as much as I could.

"Beautiful?" Edward questioned me, still waiting for a response.

Unable to verbalize any of my scattered thoughts, I brought my face closer to his and kissed him. The hum of electricity around us was terrifying…and completely stimulating. His hands threaded through my hair, deepening the kiss. My body felt alive as he pushed me down on the bed.

Noting for the first time that I was completely naked, I began trying to pull his shirt off. I was in a frenzy to get his clothes off as quickly as possible. By the time he was laying naked on top of me, I was nearly shaking with the effort it took me to get his clothes off.

I stared at him for a moment, as he positioned himself at my entrance. His slightly auburn-colored hair, in messy points around his face, gave him a childlike quality that I hadn't noticed before. His green eyes burned with an intensity that made my knees weak, and his full lips that had brought so much pleasure to me the night before, were slightly opened and ready to accept mine.

Edward looked at me, still poised at my entrance, questioningly. "Bella, are you sure?"

I brought my hand up to his face, silently stroking his cheek. "Yes, Edward, I'm sure."

Slowly, almost painfully slow, he entered me. He paused for a minute, just long enough for me to get used to him, before he began to move slowly. I reached up, pulling his face down to mine, and kissed him softly. He kissed me back for a minute before dropping his head to my shoulder.

"Hu-uh, mister. I want to see you," I whispered, pulling his head back up. He smiled at me, leaning his forehead against mine.

"How's this, beautiful?" His breath came out a little ragged, but was so sweet that I couldn't help but smile in response.

"Perfect, handsome," I said, surprising myself by calling him that. He chuckled a little bit, and I joined him until he began to move faster inside me. My chuckle turned into a moan, as I felt my stomach tighten in anticipation.

Feeling even bolder, I pushed on his chest slightly. He looked at me, confused, but pulled back a little. I pushed him down on the bed and straddled him. Immediately, his confused look turned to lust. Apparently, I had made an impression with this position.

Slowly, I took him inside of me, again. I began rocking back and forth while his hands found my breasts. He leaned up and captured my nipple in his mouth, running his tongue along my painful peak. He gently massaged one breast with his hand, as his tongue continued to dance on the other. I grabbed his hair, keeping his face to my chest and continued to increase my speed.

Moans and grunts were all that escaped, as we both flew toward the end together. He whispered my name, like it was a prayer, as he brought his hand down to my clit. He began rubbing it in slow circles—I only lasted a minute after that. I clenched around him, feeling fire spread throughout my body and surround me.

Edward flipped me over again, bringing my leg up so he could enter me deeper. I was still riding out my orgasm, while he began pumping faster and faster. Soon, he was screaming my name as he came inside me.

Feeling completely spent, I closed my eyes. I felt him shift off of me and slide in bed next to me. He wrapped his arms around me, and I snuggled into his side. I could smell sex and sweat, and it was delicious.

"Bella?" Edward said, in a soft voice. It was almost as if he didn't want to ruin the perfect moment we were having.

"Hmm?"

"We forgot to use protection again," he whispered.

"Damn." I sat up and looked at him. "That's twice now. That's really odd, you know? I'm usually extremely careful."

He sat up as well, leaning on his arm. "I'm so sorry, I don't seem to be capable of thinking clearly when I'm around you." He shook his head, but a huge smile lit up his face. "That's not always a bad thing."

I smiled back at him, willing this time with him to last as long as possible. I knew he would have to leave, and I knew I wouldn't stop him. But just for a minute, I pretended that I could keep him. His messy hair; beautiful eyes; and strong, compassionate soul could keep me content for the rest of my life.

I leaned back down next to Edward, and he wrapped his arms around me. I glanced at the clock next to my bed—it was only noon. I turned around to face him, smiling.

"It's been exactly twelve hours since we were first together," I giggled. He glanced at the clock, and then rested his head on mine.

"That's right, beautiful," He crooned at me. "And we have the rest of the weekend to spend together."

Smiling, I turned away because I didn't want him to know that I knew he would leave me. I was being stupid, spending this time with him, and I knew that I would pay for it later. But I couldn't make myself care while in that moment. He felt too good lying next to me, with his breath in my hair and his hand lightly stroking my side and thigh. It wasn't long before I was sound asleep.

EPOV

I watched Bella sleep as long as I could keep my eyes open. Feeling blissful and content here, in her bed, I held her a little tighter. There was something about this magical creature that drew me to her. Her sweet, chocolate brown eyes, full lips and her unfailingly loyal character made me want to love her. She made me want to jump out of bed, run to the patio and scream for the whole world to hear that she was mine.

In the harsh light of day, Bella was still just as perfect for me as she had been the night before. While I hadn't even known her for more than twenty-four hours, I knew she was the only woman for me. The electricity surrounding us, engulfing us, was a clear indication that we were compatible. And, clearly, that also related to sexual compatibility.

I couldn't, however, shake the feeling that she was holding something back. When I gazed into her beautiful eyes, there was still a wall there. There was something behind the surface that she was afraid to share, something that she was afraid to open up to me about. I worried for a minute, but decided that I needed to live in the moment. I had her in my arms right now, and that's what was more important than anything else. I may have to convince her to stay in the here and now—to learn that I can love her the way she needs. But, because the wall kept coming up, that she was already pulling away from.

Unable to let her go yet, I snuggled closer to her, resigning myself to the future that I already knew was coming. I laid my head down next to hers and fell into a troubled sleep.

I slowly opened my eyes, trying to remember where I was. My nightmare had been very real, and I struggled to pull myself out of it. Looking around, I realized that I was alone in Bella's bed. I could hear her moving around in the other room, so I jumped out of bed and pulled my jeans on. I looked around for my shirt, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Shrugging, I walked, barefoot, out into the living room.

I sensed Bella before I saw her. I _smelled_ her—or, I smelled the coffee that she was making. I followed the smell to the kitchen, where I found my beautiful girl standing next to her coffee maker, watching it percolate. She was dressed only in my shirt and, seemingly, nothing else.

I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her tight. She sighed, and leaned back into me. Again, I felt whole and complete.

"Morning, beautiful," I said, nuzzling her neck. She chuckled a little before turning around to face me.

"Silly man, it's like 2 o'clock in the afternoon!"

I placed a light kiss on her mouth, running my hands up her arms and into her hair. "Fine, then. Afternoon, beautiful."

She was smiling, but I saw the wall come up again. That almost made me sigh in exasperation, but I held it back. Something had happened to this woman to make her unwilling to accept love.

Before I could say anything to her, a knock on her front door interrupted us. Bella glanced at me for a second, but hurried to open the door. Not wanting to intrude, I stayed in the kitchen. However, I wanted to run to the door as fast as I could when I heard my brother's voice.

"Bells, I need to talk to you," Jasper whined.

Bella glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, but made sure that the door was in between Jasper and me. "Jazz, I have nothing to say to you right now. You only just left a few hours ago, and I didn't want to talk to you then either, if you remember. Please, just go live your life. Maybe soon we will be able to be friends, but not right now."

She started closing the door, but Jasper must have stopped its progress. "Bells, listen to me, it was the alcohol! I swear I would never have cheated on you if I hadn't been so drunk! You have to believe me!"

"Ha!" Bella exclaimed, crossing her arms across her chest. "How many times, Jazz, have you said you were going somewhere only to show up several hours later? What were you doing? Don't think I'm a complete idiot. You have been cheating on me the whole time, haven't you?"

Bella didn't give him a chance to respond. "And, no, I don't have to do anything for you. We were not a good couple, and never would have been. You gave me an opportunity to end this waste-of-time relationship—and I took it. I let it go on far longer than necessary."

Jasper started to say something else, but Bella slammed the door in his face. She turned to face me, guilt written all over her face.

"He did cheat on me, didn't he?" Bella whispered in a small voice.

I walked over to her, putting my arms around her, kissing her cheek. "I don't know, beautiful. Oddly enough, Jasper doesn't tell me everything. I suspected he was cheating, but I don't know for sure."

She nodded slightly, without looking at me. I tried to pull her closer to me, but she resisted and pulled away. She wasn't looking at me, so I brought my hand to her chin and tilted her face until I could see her eyes. I almost swore aloud as I studied her face. The wall was back up, but there was also something else. I couldn't pinpoint how I knew this, but I knew that she was pulling away from me.

Starting to panic, I put both hands on her face and stared into her eyes. "Bella, love, talk to me. Don't close me out."

Bella shook her head, put up her hands and pushed away from me. She looked down at the ground, refusing to meet my gaze. I took a step toward her, but she backed up a step.

"Bella…."

She shook her head again. "Edward, I'm so sorry but I can't do this. I'm too scared—terrified really. I need my space, and I have to ask you to go now."

I sighed, putting my hands down by my side. I walked toward her bedroom. I shoved my feet in my shoes, and grabbed my jacket, ignoring my t-shirt that Bella was still wearing.

Bella hadn't moved by the time that I got back. I walked over to her, lightly placing my hands on her arms.

"Beautiful, look at me." I knew that I had to say at least one more thing to her before I left. Bella looked up at me warily. "I hope that someday you'll be able to trust me enough to tell me what's going on inside that beautiful head. I can't read your mind, but I know that you are pushing me away because of something else that happened to you—not something that I did.

"I will leave, I promise," I whispered to her, running my thumbs along her upper arms. "I am here when you are ready. You have my number, please call me when you are ready to trust me."

I leaned forward, kissing her lightly on the mouth. I felt the wetness of her tears before I saw them. I ached with the need to wipe them away. But I couldn't do it. I had to walk away…she had to make the decision to come to me. Sighing, I realized that I couldn't push her.

I released her and walked toward the front door. I wanted to look at her again, but I knew my resolve would fail. Instead, I walked out of her apartment exactly like I had done twelve hours ago.

**A/N: So, let me know what you think! Special thanks to torisurfergirl and Starpower31 for helping me make this chapter pretty! You two rock!**


	11. Chapter 11 Shock

**A/N: So, our young couple, when last we left, was dealing with Bella's commitment phobic thoughts. We have a little time jump here, just to give you an idea of what's been happening.**

**I would like to thank torisurfergirl and starpower31 for helping me get these later chapters much better than before. You girls totally rock!**

**Well, here you go…hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 11 - Shock

"A story to me means a plot where there is some surprise. Because that is how life is—full of surprises."

Isaac Bashevis Singer

BPOV

_JANUARY_

_._

_._

_FEBRUARY_

_._

_._

_MARCH_

Monday morning came quicker than I would have liked. Slowly, I got out of bed, feeling a little dizzy. Sitting on the edge, I waited for the dizziness to pass. Throughout the last couple of weeks, I had been feeling very ill. I was hoping that this flu would go away soon.

When the dizziness subsided, I got up from the bed gently, waiting to see if I was going to throw up—or pass out. Neither of which happened, so I continued to the bathroom to get ready for work.

Mondays were never great, but they have been absolutely horrible the last two months. Each weekend I would spend alone, moping around my apartment. Alice was quickly losing patience with me, constantly telling me to 'just call him already!' But, for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to do that. So, I desponded all weekend, shutting myself in: away from life in general.

So many times in the last two months, I had considered calling him. Of course, every morning when I woke up alone, I would get as far as selecting him on my contacts—I could just never get far enough to hit send and call him. I would sit and stare at his name on my phone, overthinking what I wanted to say. So, I always locked my phone, set it down and continued with my day.

Jasper continued to be relentless; he kept trying to convince me I had made a mistake by breaking up with him. To be honest, I couldn't understand why he cared so much. We never had a deep and meaningful relationship. Perhaps with Jasper, it was all about the chase—he wanted what he knew he couldn't have. I wasn't sure, but I didn't care. I was done with him, so let him try all he wanted; it wouldn't change my mind.

Alice was handling this situation with her usual quiet demeanor. She was always good at hiding her true feelings about every situation, but this case was a little different. Confiding in me that she missed Jasper, had completely shocked me, to say the least.

"_I'm telling you, B, I never thought I would like someone like him," Alice whispered one Sunday morning. We were sitting on my patio, smoking, enjoying the cold weather of February. I turned to stare at her, feeling sure that shock was written all over my face. She grinned sheepishly before continuing, "He is _so_ arrogant, but I keep replaying that night over and over and…it makes me warm all over. He made me feel things that I've never felt with other guys. He was arrogant, yes, but he was also kind and gentle."_

_Blush crept up Alice's cheeks as she was talking. I sat mesmerized by her. Having never seen her like this before, I was amazed. "Ali, if you feel like that, maybe you should try calling him. You can't walk away from something that strong."_

_Alice's eyes welled up with tears. "B, I understand that, but what if he doesn't want me? What if he is still pining away for you? You know how well I take rejection—and he already rejected me once."_

_Bless Alice for not pointing out the irony of the situation. I knew very well that what I said could have worked for my situation, just as much as hers. Swallowing my discomfort, I decided to point it out myself._

"_No one can handle rejection, sweetie. I just want you to be happy, and if being with my pig-headed ex makes you happy, then you should call him." I sighed, catching her knowing eyes staring at me. "My situation is similar, yes, but different in that I caused this crap. Now I can't stop thinking about him. I want to apologize and move forward with him, but I caused this mess, and I really can't figure out a way to talk myself out of it. I let it go on for far too long."_

_Alice took a drag of her cigarette before responding, "B, you told me that he said he would wait for you. I have no such assurances from Jasper. I don't even know if he felt anything for me, or if it truly was only the alcohol."_

_I looked at her again, and sighed. "You're right, Ali. This is more complicated than we thought. What a pair we are!"_

I was stepping out of the shower, when I felt the bile coming up my throat. Still wet, I rushed to empty my stomach. After a few minutes, I felt well enough to crawl away from the toilet and continue getting ready.

Almost an hour later, when I was leaving my apartment, I felt sick again. I rushed back inside, barely making it to the bathroom, throwing up the toast I had eaten earlier. I sat with my forehead resting on the cold, tile wall, feeling worse than I had earlier. I gave up and called in sick to work. I sat on the bathroom floor for a while, slipping in and out of sleep.

Finally, I was able to get up without feeling the world spinning beneath me. I took off my suit and slid into bed. I stared at the ceiling, wondering if I had brought on this flu by neglecting myself for so long. I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten a full meal, or exercised, or not smoked a full pack a day.

Suddenly, I gasped, the realization of what was happening hitting me in the gut. I bit my lip as I grabbed my phone. The calendar app opened quickly, and I began counting the days.

_Oh my God…this can't be happening!_

APOV

Work was so miserable. But, for some reason, it was worse than normal today. Bella had called in sick, and since I had spent all weekend with her, I wondered if I had caught what she had. I was physically sick to my stomach, had a huge headache and was just all around cranky. I was trying to concentrate and get my work done, but it wasn't working out so well.

"Alice?" My boss, Rosalie, said tentatively. She had snuck up behind me again, just as I had put my head in my hands, hoping for the nausea to subside. "Are you feeling OK?"

I looked up at her perfect face and blonde hair, expecting to see a snide look on her face. All I saw was concern—which admittedly surprised me. "No, I don't feel so good. Actually, I might throw up."

Rosalie perched on the side of my desk and put her hand on mine. I pushed away from the desk, lifting my head up to look at her. She looked worried, as she put her hand up to my forehead.

"You're not hot, so I don't think you're running a fever…" Rosalie leaned a little closer. "In fact, you feel cold and clammy and look like you might faint. Seriously, are you OK?"

"I really don't feel well," I started. Emmett came up behind Rosalie, looking curiously at both of us. "Mr. McCarty, I'm almost done with your letters. I promise I'll get them done today."

"No, you won't," he said, leaning against the cube wall, still staring intently at me. "You look like hell, shorty." He smiled at me, forcing a smile out of me as well. He had always been so nice to me. "Rose, I think you should send her home."

I looked at Rosalie, bracing myself for her anger. She glanced up at Emmett, and then back at me. The look of concern on her face not having changed. "I think you're right, Emmett. She looks like she's going to pass out any second now."

I started to protest, but Emmett held up his hands, stopping me. "Alice, just listen to us. Please take the rest of the day off." He looked at Rosalie, who glanced from him to me, nodding.

Sighing in defeat, I locked my computer and picked up my purse. "OK, I know when I'm being ganged up on," I said, letting fake weariness creep in my voice. I winked at both of them. "I promise to sleep for the rest of the day. And hopefully, I'll be better tomorrow."

Rosalie and Emmett both told me to get some sleep, expressing that they hoped I felt better soon. Walking slowly to my car, I tried not to feel the earth rotate—it felt like it was spinning too fast.

On the way home, I decided to stop by the drug store to get some Pepto or something. I pulled into the Walgreens that was close to my apartment and got out of my car slowly. I walked around the store, trying to concentrate on each aisle so I could figure out where the Pepto was, when I ran into someone I wasn't expecting.

Turning the corner to the next aisle, I looked up into the same eyes I couldn't stop thinking about. Jasper stood just a few feet away from me, seemingly frozen in place, staring at me. I stared at him for a minute, before turning around and half ran the other direction. I thought that he was following me for a minute, but when I got to the feminine hygiene department, I turned around and he wasn't there.

Pretending to look around, just in case he was watching, I caught sight of something that made me stop for a second.

_Sick to my stomach…_

_Dizzy…_

_No period for a couple months…_

_OH MY GOD!_

I stood, staring at the pregnancy tests, frozen. This could explain everything that I've experienced lately. Knowing that Jasper was in the store made me very wary of grabbing the test now, so I walked around a little more. I spotted him paying for his purchase at the front, and I continued to watch him until he left the store. Then, as quickly as I could, I ran over to the pregnancy tests and grabbed a box. I paid and fled the store with as much dignity as I could manage.

I sat in my car for a minute before deciding to go over to Bella's. I could feel the depression coming on, and I knew that Bella could help. Even though she had been depressed herself lately, somehow I knew that she would help me. She had texted me this morning explaining that she had the flu and was staying home, so I drove as quickly as I could to her apartment.

A short time later, I pulled into Bella's complex. I walked as quickly as I could to her front door, taking a deep breath before knocking. There was a slight rustle from the inside, so I just waited patiently.

Bella answered the door shortly after my second knock. I was shocked when I saw her. She had obviously been crying, her hair was messed up and she was extremely pale.

"B?" I started, only to be cut off by Bella.

"Ali? I'm so glad you're here!" Bella cried, grabbing me and pulling me into her living room. She shut the door and turned to face me. "I might be pregnant!"

I stared at her for a second. _Bella was pregnant, too? The flu… "_Oh, B, the flu?"

"It's not the flu…I haven't had my period in at least a month or two."

"Edward?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

She nodded slightly.

"B, I'm late."

Bella looked at me, her eyes widening. "Jazz?"

I nodded in reply.

Bella motioned for the couch, and we both sat down facing each other. Before either of us could say another word, we heard a knock at the door. I looked at the door and then back to Bella. She shrugged and got up slowly, moving toward the door.

She wrapped her blanket around her body tighter before opening the door. I was not prepared for the sight of who was there.

"Edward," Bella whispered, before falling to the floor in a dead faint.

**A/N: I know, I'm just horrid with the cliffhangers, aren't I? I hope you all forgive me, because the next couple chapters will be totally worth it! I hope to have Chapter 12 up in less than a week, if I get reviews! **

**See you all next week!**


	12. Chapter 12 Sleepless in Reno

**A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter less than a week later! Chapter 13 is posing an interesting issue for me, so it may be a good week before it's posted. Hopefully sooner, but I'm not sure.**

**Once again, I must give a HUGE thank you to torisurfergirl and starpower31 for their mad beta skills. You girls are so amazing!**

**And now we get to hear from Edward. How is he doing? What is he up to? Read on, my friends!**

Chapter 12 – Sleepless in Reno

"Tomorrow night is nothing but one long sleepless wrestle with yesterday's omissions and regrets."

William Faulkner

EPOV

_March_

The ceiling danced with the lights from moving cars passing by, leaking in through the window. They entertained me, as always, through another sleepless night. I watched as they would move across the ceiling from a passing car, only to move along the same path with the next one.

I concentrated on the lights to avoid thinking too much. It was easier to think about mundane things, rather than the situation with Bella. Frustrated, I put my hands over my eyes. My thoughts went straight to Bella, and I didn't want them to. Through the last two months, I had successfully gotten through each day and each night without dwelling on her…but she was always there, in the background of my mind.

Every day I resisted calling her, but I wanted to, desperately. Instead, I threw myself into my work; some days working twelve or fourteen hours at a time. I would work myself to exhaustion, just so I could fall into a sound, dreamless sleep. That only worked during the week, though. The weekends were harder.

Every Friday night, I would think about New Year's Eve—the first kiss, the gentle way she bit her lip and the way her body felt under me. Saturdays and Sundays were hard with very few distractions.

Monday mornings were the worst. I would get up after three nights of no sleep, attempting to work throughout the day, and coming home beyond exhausted to crash.

Today was Monday, and I was dreading going to work once again. I glanced at the clock: 5AM. I guess I could get up…_No reason to stay in bed anyway_. I got up and walked slowly to the shower. I took my time in the shower, washing everything twice.

Once I was done with the shower, I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, turning on ESPN. The TV was bright compared to my dark apartment, but I was barely paying attention. My thoughts went back to Bella, and I found myself wanting to let the sorrow swallow me.

Frustrated, I stood up and began pacing, ignoring the TV in the background. _Why hadn't she called me?_ It's been two months; she should have called me by now. I raked my hand through my hair and continued pacing. _Maybe I should just go over there and talk to her…_

_No!_

_I told her I would give her time._ As I paced, I kept an eye on the clock. When I got like this—to the point of pacing and freaking out over Bella—I tended to ignore everything else. I had a meeting first thing this morning, and I couldn't be late. It was almost 7AM already. _How did that happen?_

I finished getting ready for work in record time, and by 7:30AM I was on my way out the door. My meeting was at 8AM, so I knew that I would have to rush a little so I wouldn't be late. I ran for my car, jumping in and revving the engine. I backed up quickly, racing for the exit of my complex.

On the days where I was running late, it felt like all of the stoplights in Reno were against me. Heading down McCarran Boulevard was generally a good commute, but they were working on repaving the section by the mall, so it was slower than usual. And, of course, since I _was_ running late, I had forgotten about that. I should have gone a different way, but it was too late now.

I was sitting at yet another red light, when I caught myself starting to doze. I heard a horn honk behind me, which jarred me awake. Glancing up, I saw that the light was green so I jerked the car forward. Out of nowhere, I felt a huge impact, hearing a crash from my right side. Looking up at the light, I noticed that the straight light had flicked green, not the turn light. I had just run a red light and was hit by someone going the opposite direction.

Attempting to get out around my airbag was difficult. I managed to exit the car, about the same time the lady in the SUV that had hit me was coming over to the passenger side of my car.

"Oh my gosh, are you OK? I didn't see you until you were right in front of me! Did you know your light wasn't red? Are you OK?" The woman gushed, way too fast to comprehend at first. I shook my head, feeling a little dizzy. She took another step toward me, as I sat down on the hard pavement in the middle of the road. "I'm calling an ambulance," she announced, pulling her cell phone out.

I tried to protest…really I did. But I just didn't have the energy. I could feel myself slipping; I was so exhausted that I could hardly keep my eyes open. There was a commotion around me, but I couldn't concentrate on it because my eyes kept closing.

"Look at him! Maybe he has a concussion…he can hardly keep his eyes open."

"Maybe he's really injured?"

"Did you see? He totally ran that light."

"Did someone call an ambulance?"

"Yes, I called one, they are on the way. Maybe we should have him lie down?"

"What was he thinking? He ran that light! He's lucky to be alive!"

The voices swirled around me as I felt blackness start to tug at me. I refused to let it overcome me however, because I knew that would mean going to the hospital. I forced myself to sit up a little straighter and concentrate on the scene in front of me.

My car was sitting in the middle of the intersection, with the right side crunched quite a bit. The SUV didn't have as much damage on it, but it was a bit bigger than my silver Volvo. There were a few cars parked on the side of the road, and I assumed those belonged to the small crowd that was surrounding me, the lady, and our cars. I glanced around and noticed that the traffic at the intersection was having difficulty navigating around the accident.

Standing up slowly, I noticed that all of the people in the crowd turned to face me at virtually the same time. I was stationary for a few minutes, just to make sure I wasn't going to fall over before I addressed the crowd.

"I'm alright, everyone. I promise. We need to move the cars out of the intersection…it's creating a backup." I motioned to the intersection, and the lady with the SUV nodded.

"No problem, I'll move out of the way. Are you OK to drive?" She did look worried for a few moments, but I couldn't tell if she was worried I would just drive off—since it _had been_ my fault—or because she thought that I was really injured and couldn't drive properly.

I chuckled under my breath, humorlessly. I had already proven today that I couldn't drive properly, hadn't I? Acknowledging the lady, I nodded. "Yes, I'm OK to drive. I'm not going anywhere, either. I ran the light, and that's what I'll be telling the police when they get here."

She smiled slightly, and moved back to her vehicle. I walked very slowly to mine, sliding in around the airbag. Driving was slow as well, because I had to avoid the cross traffic. Eventually, both of us had moved our vehicles to the side, and the intersection was able to function properly again.

About an hour later, I was watching my car being pulled onto the tow truck. It was drivable, sort of, but with the airbag deployed it wasn't very safe. So, I let the tow truck take it to my mechanic and called a rental agency, asking them to come pick me up.

The questioning from the police was miserable; I admitted fault because I couldn't avoid it. I was exhausted and hadn't paid attention properly. Not being one to back down from responsibilities, I knew it was the only thing I could do. Knowing that the Volvo would be fixed, most likely, and that the SUV would need to be as well, I resigned myself to the potential boost in premiums for car insurance I would see.

By the time I made it home, I had called work and notified them I wouldn't be coming in today due to the accident. I was so tired that I could feel the blackness starting to envelope me. I resisted sleeping though. Sleeping was treating the symptom. I needed a cure.

I needed Bella.

It shouldn't have come as a shock at all. I knew that I needed her…hadn't I been saying that to myself for the last two months? But, for some reason, saying those specific three words in my head had made a difference.

Suddenly, I was wide awake and searching for my keys. I was almost to the door before I realized that it was still morning and she was probably at work. Not knowing exactly where she worked, but knowing which industry, I began calling all of the insurance companies that I could find on the internet. The fourth one was correct.

"May I please speak with Bella Swan?" I said, starting to get grumpy.

"I'm sorry, sir, but she is out today. Would you like to leave her a message? I can transfer you to her voicemail," the lady on the phone said nicely.

I sat up from the couch. _She worked there! But she wasn't in…maybe she was at home?_ "Oh, uh, no thank you."

I hung up quickly and ran for the door. It took me too long to get to her apartment, in my estimation. However, it was probably only about twenty minutes. She lived on the other side of town from me, and in my current state, that felt like an eternity.

When I finally did pull into her complex, I was close to shaking. _What if she asks me to leave? What if she isn't happy to see me? What if she says I'm pushing her?_ The constant 'what if' questions kept pouring out of my head, while I walked up to her door.

I took thirty seconds to breathe slowly, before I was able to knock on the door. There was a rustling sound, and the door opened a minute or so later. There in the flesh, was my beautiful girl, looking very sick. She was wrapped in a blanket, her hair disheveled and her skin looking paler than normal.

The shocked look on her face slowly turned into a smile as she stared at me. It was taking all of my strength to not grab her and pull her into my arms. I had to move slowly, or I would scare her…I was almost sure of that. She took a small step toward me and reached her hand out a little, not quite touching me.

"Edward," she said, breathlessly. Then, I watched in horror as her eyes slid behind her lids and she crumpled to the ground.

BPOV

Seeing Edward had been magical. The man that I couldn't stop thinking about, whose face I could see every time I closed my eyes, was standing in front of me.

My memories didn't do him justice. His hair was sticking out in every direction, as usual, but the exact color of the copper highlights was more defined than it was in my head. The piercing, green eyes were darker than I remembered, also. He stood in front of me in a dark gray business suit, looking like the most beautiful thing in the world.

I felt my heart start to beat faster, and it was all I could do to not jump into his arms. _What if he was mad at me? That's stupid, Bella, why would he be here if he was mad at you? Why is he here at all? Oh, who cares! He is _here_, don't question this gift!_

As I silently fought with myself, Edward's arms twitched slightly. I took a step closer to him, breathing his name like the prayer I knew it to be, before the blackness surrounded me.

**A/N: Well, my regular readers are now getting used to my cliff hangers. I know, you all hate me, but that's just how I write. **

**Review for me please! Thanks….and I will get the next chapter posted as soon as I can. Have a lovely Labor Day weekend (for those in the US).**


	13. Chapter 13 Baby Talk

**A/N: I promise that this chapter doesn't have a cliffy! So, I'm still a little reserved about this chapter, so read with caution. Hopefully, you guys like it as much as my AWESOME beta's torisurfergirl and starpower31 did. They had to talk me down a bit on this chapter, and I love them to death for that and everything else they do for me. Seriously, you girls rock!**

**It's a little on the long side, but there was a lot to delve into here. OK, on with the show…**

Chapter 13 – Baby Talk

"A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities."

Eda J Le Shan

APOV

Edward and I reacted at the same time. We both rushed over to Bella, who had crumpled on the floor. She was breathing, and I could almost believe that she was just sleeping. Assuming that she and I were both pregnant, she had probably just fainted because of that. I was extremely dizzy, so I figured that she could be also.

"Let's get her to the couch," Edward whispered, as if trying not to wake her. I nodded, attempting to grab one arm to help him. Edward, apparently, had other ideas. He scooped her up and placed her gently on the couch. Grabbing the blanket that was still on the ground, I followed him, placing it on top of Bella.

"Edward, would you like something to drink? Let's let Bella rest for a few minutes…we can, uh, chat," I finished lamely. He jerked his head toward me, studying me for a minute. He nodded and followed me toward the kitchen.

Apparently, neither one of us was thirsty, because we both just sat down at the kitchen table. We stared at each other for a few minutes…just long enough that I started to feel uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, and I waited to hear what he had to say. It was hard for me to verbalize what I was thinking, so I figured I would let him talk first.

"Alice," Edward began, shifting nervously in the chair. "I know that you worry about Bella, but I need you to trust me. I never wanted to leave her, or do anything that would have caused her any kind of pain. She asked me to leave, and I respected her wishes. I wanted to stay…but I had to give her that space."

I leaned forward slightly, staring intently at him. He was saying what I had either known or assumed, based on my conversations with Bella. "I know, Edward. She admitted to me that she had asked you to leave. She said you told her that you would wait for her. Is that still true?"

He nodded, looking down at his hands resting on the table. "I love her. I know how stupid that sounds, given that I haven't known her for that long. But, honestly? I can't stop thinking about her…she's the last thing on my mind at night, and the first thing I think of in the morning."

I nodded back to him, sitting back slightly. "I understand, entirely. I hope she doesn't kill me for saying this, but I think she loves you too. She talks about you all the time, and she has been completely miserable these last two months without you. All she does is mope."

Was it my imagination, or did he perk up a little? He really did care about Bella.

"I want to be with her, but she needs to want me, too. I can't stay if she doesn't want me to." He smirked a little, and I almost froze. It was the same crooked smile that Jasper had, and it made me a little sad.

I shook my head, getting back to the conversation. "Yeah, I know. You're right. But this time, I think she'll want you to stay."

Turmoil began to fill my head, thinking of all the things I wanted to say to him. Warn him about her trust issues—tell him about Bella's dad and the issues with her mother. Shaking my head, I knew that I couldn't do that to her. Bella needed to tell him when she was comfortable, and not have it forced on her because I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

I heard Bella from the other room. Both Edward and I jumped up, but I held my hand out to him. "Edward, please let me go first."

He grimaced, but nodded. I walked into the living room, looking at a sleepy-eyed Bella sitting up on the couch.

"Ali!" Bella said her hands still on her cheeks. "I swear I just dreamt that Edward was here. If I am pregnant, then this baby is making me crazy already!"

There was a huge intake in breath behind me. I knew Edward was listening, of course, but I wasn't prepared for Bella to just announce it like that. I sank down on the couch without looking at him. "B, first of all we don't know if you are pregnant or not. We still need to take those tests. And, second, Edward is here. He's in the kitchen."

If I hadn't felt so sick and dizzy, watching Bella's face would have made me laugh. Emotions flashed pretty quickly; shock, embarrassment, sad and finally resting on happy. Her cheeks turned bright red, while her hands clamped over her mouth. Slowly, she turned a little and peered into the kitchen. Her eyes got really big.

"Did you…" Bella squeaked, unable to finish her sentence. I stood up and faced the kitchen; Edward was walking toward the couch, his hands running nervously through his hair.

"I heard."

I looked from Edward to Bella, and realized that I should leave. I walked toward the front door where my purse was before turning around to face Bella.

"I should really get going. I don't want to intrude here." I grabbed the pregnancy test box out of my purse, opened it and got one of the tests out. "This box came with two tests, so I'm going to leave you one. Please text me later to let me know what the results are? And I'll tell you what mine are. Deal?"

Bella was still in shock a little, but she nodded anyway. After a pointed look at Edward, knowing he would understand the meaning behind it, I silently closed the door. I walked to my car, half expecting to throw up before I got there. I was fortunate though and didn't throw up until I got home.

It took me a while before I was able to actually take my pregnancy test, just because I couldn't sit up that long. Between the dizziness and the nausea, sitting up was the last thing I wanted to do. However, once I was able to sit up, I took the test.

The two pink lines were all I could see, as I stumbled from my bathroom to my bed. After lying down, I picked up my phone and texted Bella.

:_Positive:_ I stared at that word for a minute. _Yeah, that's all I needed to say._

My head flopped down on my pillow, and the tears began streaming down my face. _How do I do this on my own?_

BPOV

Edward stared at me from behind the couch, almost as if he was unable to look away. I felt my eyes prickle with tears, and I was instantly angry with myself for crying. Attempting to push them away, I stood up and walked hesitantly toward Edward.

"Edward, I am so happy that you're here," I breathed, reaching my hand toward him. Looking uncertain, he didn't move for a moment. There was a battle going on in his eyes, so I just left him alone. Soon, he appeared to have made a decision, as he stepped forward and enveloped me in his arms.

"I've missed you, beautiful," he whispered into my hair, causing me to smile. He leaned back a little, placing his hand on my cheek. "Is it OK if I call you that?"

Smiling, I nodded. "I've missed you, too. I think we should talk?"

Stiffening slightly, he nodded also, steering us toward the couch. We sat down, shifting so we were facing each other. I reached out, gently grasping his hands in my own. Staring at our clasped hands, I drew in a large breath, attempting to calm my rattled nerves.

Edward shifted slightly, while I continued to breathe in deeply. "Beautiful, maybe we should wait to talk until you feel better?"

Shaking my head, I looked directly into his eyes. "Edward, I have so many things to tell you…I'm just not sure where to start."

I laughed without humor, continuing, "I guess the first thing we should discuss is what you overheard me say to Alice." Sighing, I released his hands. "I don't know for sure, yet, but I think I might be pregnant. Ali, too. That's why she was here today."

Edward nodded. "I'm not really sure what to say or do here…why don't we put that on hold until after you take the test? That way, we can understand exactly what's going on when we talk about it."

"'Kay."

"Bella, I'm really sorry that I got you into this situation. I was so stupid and careless! I can't believe I didn't use any protection!" Edward abruptly got up from the couch, and began pacing around the living. "I'm so stupid!"

Shakily, I stood, walking over to him. I held my hands up, stopping his circuit of my living room. "Edward, it was both of us. It wasn't just you in that room…twice. I didn't say anything either."

Stepping closer, he wound his arms around me, holding me tight against his chest. "I know, baby, but I really feel stupid here. I lost all control with you," he whispered. "I can never lose control like that again…I have to keep my head screwed on straight when I'm with you."

Laughter bubbled up my throat, as I led him back to the couch. Once we were sitting again, I leaned back and took another deep breath. "OK, no more baby talk for now. I have some things that I need to tell you…things you need to know before you even attempt a relationship with me."

Edward was silently watching me as I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. _Just get it over with, Bella! He needs to know everything._

"OK, here goes nothing." I paused, taking a deep breath before continuing, "Some of my past you already know, but I'm going to tell you the unabridged version this time.

"I grew up in a small town called Forks, it's in Washington State. My dad, Charlie"-I swallowed thickly after saying his name-"was the sheriff of Forks. He was always the most important person in the world to me. As a child, I hung on his every word. I looked to him for approval before anyone else. Renee, my mom, was…there. She was always very flaky, and I often thought of myself as more of a grown-up than her."

I shuddered, but pressed on, "Renee was verbally abusive to me when I was child…Dad never knew. She hated me, she would yell at me for the silliest things. Never hit me…but she may as well have. Dad was always completely devoted to her, but I knew she hated him. She used to tell me how much she hated Forks, how much she hated the small town life. She couldn't stand that Dad was a police officer…mostly because he didn't make a lot of money.

"See, Renee came from money. Her parents were vineyard owners in Napa Valley, California. There was a sizable inheritance that she gained about the time I was eight years old. She would never spend any of that money on the house, Dad or me. Instead, she used it to pay for one stupid, meaningless class after another at the junior college."

Tears started streaming down my face, as I braced myself for the next step. Edward silently wiped them away with his thumbs, leaving his hands on my face for a few moments. "High school was particularly hard for me. Renee was on the warpath. She hated my hair, my clothes and my taste in friends. When Ali started coming around, Renee hated her too. Dad was working a lot, so I didn't have his support. Once I turned eighteen, I took my savings and moved to Seattle. Dad and I made a comprise, so that he felt better about me moving. He told me that he was alright with me moving, but only if he could pay for my college, including tuition, books and supplies. He said that I could get a job to pay for all of my other expenses. There didn't appear to be any other way to survive, so I allowed him to do that.

"Because of him, I was able to finish college and find a great accounting job. I worked there for a while…up until my dad…died…" My voice carried off, while I struggled to control my emotions. _This is harder than I thought it would be._

"When did your father die, beautiful?" Edward's quiet, calm voice seemed to settle my nerves.

Holding onto his hands for strength, I continued, "Dad died almost a year ago…May 4th. It was a car accident, chasing after some criminal. I was at his side as soon as I heard, but Renee was content to stay in the waiting room. For a couple days—honestly I don't remember how long it was—I held his hand, told him how much I loved him and missed him…until he stopped breathing. I kissed him on the forehead, walked out of the room, past my mother in the waiting room, and never returned to that hospital.

"I stood in the back of the church for his funeral, not wanting to be anywhere near Renee. Ali offered to let me stay with her here in Reno until I got on my feet, so I drove home to Seattle and packed-up everything I could.

"The last time I spoke with Renee was about three months ago. Just before the New Year's party. She told me that she was getting married again, and I told her to `go to hell.'"

Now that my story was out, I relaxed back into the couch. I felt myself being scrutinized by Edward, so my eyes focused on our hands rather than his eyes. Feeling his hand on my chin, pulling my face up toward him, brought a new round of tears. His thumb gently wiped them off my cheek.

"Bella, thank you for telling me your story, I can see that it's difficult for you to talk about your dad. Now I can also see why you have that wall."

Cocking my head to the side in confusion, I asked, "Wall?"

Chuckling a little, he relaxed into the couch. "I could see it in your eyes. When I said something about wanting to be with you, or when Jazz came over that last time I saw you…a wall, or a shield of some kind, would come up and you pulled away from me again."

Laughing, I pulled him closer to me, hugging him as tight as I could. "Ali said something like that to me the other day. Something about me 'blocking' her, or whatever it was that she said."

My hold released on him, and I pulled back, looking directly into his eyes. "I can't promise that I won't 'block' you, or put that wall up again, but I will _try._ I will try my best to never do that again."

Edward started to say something, but I put my finger over his lips. "Shh, one moment, please. I have to say this." I shifted as close to him as I could get, without sitting on top of him, and, with a shaky voice, continued, "I _want_ to be with you. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you for the past two months. But, if you don't want me anymore, please tell me now."

Moving my fingers away from his mouth, I braced myself for his response. Yes, he had come here, and yes, he had sat through my entire story without getting up and leaving, but I couldn't tell what his reaction was going to be.

Surprising me again, Edward caught my hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing it softly. "I think you already know the answer to that question, beautiful. But, I don't want there to be any confusion." He picked me up, as if I weighed nothing and placed me on his lap. Winding his arms around me, he gently laid his forehead on mine. "I want to be with you, too, beautiful. More than I've ever wanted to be with anyone."

Carefully, I leaned in closer, placing my lips on his. Edward's lips were soft, warm and comforting. Immediately, I felt my heart begin to heal from the past two month's heartache. Warmth spread through my body, filling me, a hum of security replacing the pain.

"Beautiful, you need to take that test. We need our answer," Edward whispered, breaking our kiss.

"_Our_ answer?" I questioned.

"Yes, our answer. Whatever the results, I'm here and I'm not leaving."

Quickly, I kissed him again, bounding up off the couch. As the world began to spin again, Edward stood up and put his arms around my waist.

"Careful, sweet girl. You still aren't feeling well, are you?"

"Um, no, not really." After letting him steady me for a moment, I grabbed the pregnancy test off the side table next to the couch, before walking, slowly, to the bathroom.

Edward held my hand while we waited the longest three minutes in history. Finally, after two and a half minutes, I went into the bathroom and picked the test up off the counter.

Two dark pink lines stared at me, and I felt the panic rise in my chest. Edward came up behind me, placing both arms around me again, keeping me steady. My heart was racing, and I was sure he could feel it, as he started rubbing my arms up and down.

"Congratulations, Mom," he whispered into my hair, kissing me silently.

Turning around, confronting the father of my child—_that is going to take some getting used to—_I gazed at him with measuring eyes. "Are you OK with this?"

"We made 'this,' beautiful, and while I wish that we had had more time together, alone, I am not questioning 'this.' I am twenty-eight years old, it's about damn time I started a family."

Unable to return his smile, I spoke again, my voice filled with emotion. "Edward, we hardly know each other, and we are having a baby together. Don't you think this will be hard for us?"

"Nothing in life that is worth it is easy, sweet girl. I'll take whatever I can get."

"But-"

"Bella, yes it will be difficult, and you're right, we don't know each other all that well. But, we _will_ get to know each other a lot over the next few months before the baby comes." He studied me for a minute, before the beautiful crooked smile came back. "What's your favorite color, book and movie?"

This time, I was able to find my smile. "Purple, it's a tie between Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice, and my favorite movie is Playing by Heart. Your turn," I said, shyly.

"Blue, A Brave New World and The Godfather, of course."

Leaning against his chest, gaining as much comfort as I could, I heard my phone chirp in the other room. I started to move toward it, but Edward stopped me.

"Let me." Before I could respond, he was rushing off into the other room. Before I could register that he was gone, he was walking back into the bathroom, carrying my phone.

"You're fast!" I said, giggling a little.

Grabbing my phone, I checked the new message. It was from Alice, stating simply 'positive.' Silently showing it to Edward before placing it on the counter, I frowned.

Alice was going to have a hard time of it, given that Jasper wouldn't even give her the time of day. Edward and I had each other, but Ali was all alone. Leaning into Edward again, because I needed his strength, I felt the tears spring back.

_This is going to be hard for all of us…not just Ali._

**A/N: So, what do you guys think? Good interactions? Does it tell you more about Bella? Leave me some love!**


	14. Chapter 14 Considerations

**A/N: I love to be able to update the chapter sooner than normal…I hope you guys like this chapter, it was fun until the end; the end was hard to write. We do have a little update on Alice and Jasper here.**

**Once again, thanks to torisurfergirl and starpower31 for their awesomeness (I know, ladies, that is not a word, but it fits so well!)!**

Chapter 14 – Considerations

"Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom."

Bertrand Russell

EPOV

Cinnamon, musk and mint swirled around me as I wrapped my arms around Bella. Since the tension in her body was palpable, I was attempting to sooth her. I knew that she was worried about Alice–so was I, if I'm being honest–but I needed her to come back to me, to _us_, and focus on what we're dealing with and let Alice deal with her own issues for now.

We walked toward her bed, hand in hand, in a comfortable silence. She still looked a little green, so laying down seemed like a great idea. Looking up at me, puzzled, she pointed to the bed.

"Um, man, you work fast…"she mumbled, cracking a small smile. I chuckled, helping her to sit down on the bed. Her slippers came off easily, and before she could throw another joke at me, I had her lying down under the covers.

"Sleep, beautiful. It's been a long day for you, and you're clearly not feeling well still." She started to protest, but I silenced her with my lips. Kissing her awakened my body, my cock specifically, but I resisted the temptation as I leaned away. "I promise I'll be here when you get up. I just want you to rest."

Smiling, she nodded, and closed her eyes easily. With all of the stress she had gone through today, I wasn't surprised to see her breathing become steady as quickly as it did. Leaning over her once more, I kissed her forehead, breathing in her smell again.

"I love you, sweet girl," I whispered, knowing she wouldn't have heard me. Silently, I stood up and closed the bedroom door behind me.

I took a few minutes to wander around her apartment. I remembered my first impressions of her space; the pictures on the wall, the colors in the living room, and the picture of the man that must have been Charlie, hanging in a place of honor on the wall. After learning more about Bella, I knew that my first impressions were correct.

She was an intelligent, fiercely loyal, inherently shy person. But, even after all of that, she loved with her whole heart, 'to the moon and back,' as the saying goes. Judging by the way she broken down when speaking of her father, I could tell that his death had shaken her to her core. The pain felt when losing someone that close to you, whether a parent or not, is tremendous. That was an area where I knew quite a bit.

Making my way to the couch, I threw myself down. Bella had to know about my past, too; my lack of relationships, save one—which resulted in pain and heartache that had consumed me for the last three years. Since we were starting fresh, and having a baby, she needed to know everything about me. She had shared her past—told me about her pain; it was only fair that I tell her about mine.

_Having a baby…that definitely hasn't sunk in yet._ It was terrifying, but I had to just power through. Bella was going to need me, so I had to put my feelings behind me for now. The relationship was too new for me to tell her all of the fears I have about the baby. I needed to concentrate on building trust with Bella, so that everything else will fall into place.

The vibration of my phone in my jeans pocket startled me back to reality. I fished it out and checked my caller ID. Not recognizing the number, I picked it up anyway, just in case it had something to do with the accident this morning.

"Hello?"

"Edward?" Alice's almost frantic voice said over the phone.

"Alice? What's wrong?"

"I'm kind of freaking out, and I can't get a hold of Bella…" her voice carried off. There was sniffling on the other end of the phone, so I assumed that she was crying.

"I'm sorry, Alice, Bella's sleeping. She still looked a little green, and she's worried about you, and us, so I thought she needed a nap." I raked my hand through my hair, knowing Alice would be going through a lot right now also, I tried to pull myself together to see if I could help her. "I know we haven't known each other that long, but I'll be happy to listen, if you want."

She sighed and was silent for a moment. "I…don't really talk to others well," she said, snickering a little. "That came out wrong. What I meant was, it's hard for me to open up to people. But, I'll try. I assume that Bella told you that I'm pregnant also?"

"Yes, I was with her when she got your text."

"OK, well, that saves time. In case you hadn't figured it out, the only person I've been with in the last…year"-she whispered the last word so quietly I almost couldn't make it out-"was Jasper. So, it has to be his."

I inhaled sharply. My brother was notorious for not handling bad news very well. He was still complaining about Bella breaking up with him two months ago—mostly complaining that he had never 'gotten any' from her beforehand. Of course, I had an inkling that Alice was having Jasper's baby, but because of my own problems, I had chosen to sidestep that issue entirely.

"I assumed it was. Bella didn't say anything to me about it, but I figured," I said, shrugging. Alice was going to have a rough time discussing this with my brother. "Jasper is, well, he can be pretty rough around the edges sometimes. He is a good person, but he doesn't accept change well."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. I honestly don't know how to bring it up…I haven't spoken with him since the morning after it, er, happened." Alice's voice sounded small and frightened. This entire situation was almost too much to take in, and I had no way of calming her down. Truth was, I was pretty shaken myself.

"Alice, let me text you Jasper's phone number. Invite him over for dinner, make sure it's a steak or something, and just tell him." I sighed, sitting up. I did not envy her in the least. "I don't know how this is going to go, but you need to tell him. And trust me when I say, Bella and I will be here for you no matter what."

"Thank you, Edward. I, um, I'm happy that you and Bella have each other. She really missed you."

"Thanks, Alice. Good luck," I said, silently crossing my fingers for her.

We hung up after that; I really couldn't think of anything else to say. After texting her Jasper's number, I put my phone back in my jeans pocket and decided to check on Bella.

The apartment was very quiet as I made my way back to her bedroom. Opening the door just a crack, I noticed Bella sitting up in the bed, her arms hugging her legs. Quickly, I walked over to her and sat down on the bed. I pulled her into my arms, and her sobs shook me to my very core.

"What's wrong, beautiful?" I murmured in her hair, still holding her close. She shook her head, but wound her arms around me, holding me just as tight. Unable to push her to talk to me, I just held her silently as she wept. Finally, after several moments, she leaned back and gave me a small smile.

Smiling back, I wiped away a stray tear coursing its way down her cheek. "That's better. Now, what was that about, sweet girl?"

"I just had a freak out moment. I woke up remembering Alice's situation…and mine also, I guess." She laughed humorlessly, biting her lip. "Edward? I'm not ready for this."

I froze. _She's not ready for what? For us?_ "What, beautiful? What aren't you ready for?"

"The baby," she said, sighing. Relaxing, I brought my lips to her forehead. Maybe it was a good idea to discuss both of our fears regarding the baby. "I just never thought this would happen."

Cupping her face, I forced her to look at me. "Me neither. I mean, realistically we should have assumed since we didn't use any protection…but the last two months have been so crazy." She smiled rolling her eyes, and I laughed silently. "I know, that was a tame way to describe it, love."

"Yes, exactly. It felt like I was stuck in hell," she agreed softly.

Nodding, I continued, "Yes, like being stuck in hell, exactly. Now, I'm scared too. Neither one of us was expecting this baby, but we _will_ figure it all out. Today has been a roller coaster of a ride for us. I suggest we rest today, watch TV—something calming. Tomorrow, we can start making plans, doctor appointments, that sort of thing. But," I said, kissing her lips lightly, "first things first. Will you go out on a date with me tomorrow night?"

Her smile got bigger as she threw her arms around me. "Yes, Edward, I would love to go out on a date with you!"

I chuckled, kissing her hair. "Good, because we have a lot to learn about each other still…" Leaning back, I captured her face in my hands. "…and I can't fucking wait."

APOV

Tears streamed down my face, and my throat felt like a vice grip was holding it closed. My chest actually ached, and I felt like I was losing the hold on my sanity. The couch was lumpy and uncomfortable, but I couldn't make myself move. Jasper had left a while ago, but the pain he had left behind was unimaginable. I had known this would be difficult, but I didn't know it would be this bad.

_I had called Jasper, like Edward had suggested, and invited him over for a steak dinner. He was surprised to hear from me; actually, he sounded more angry than surprised. But, I stuck to my plan and invited him over, explaining that I needed to talk to him. I may have indicated it had something to do with Bella, which did cause him to accept my offer._

_I was a nervous wreck by the time he got to my apartment. The morning sickness wasn't as bad as it had been earlier, but my stomach was full of butterflies. When I heard him knock on my door, I was on my twentieth circle of my apartment. Pacing seemed to calm me a little bit, but as soon as I heard him, my heart picked back up and the butterflies came back in full force._

_Opening the door, I plastered a fake smile on my face and invited him in. He was hesitant and demanded that we 'get to the point' almost the second he saw me._

"_Listen, Alice, I don't know what's going on, but if it has something to do with Bella and me, then get to the point. I don't need your steak dinner, or your company. I just want to know what's going on…that you couldn't say over the phone." Blinking at him, I was shocked by his behavior—at his tone, more specifically. He only took one step in the living room, barely giving enough room to close the door behind him, before he crossed his arms over his chest and stood waiting for my reply._

"_Um, OK, well why don't you come sit down, and I'll tell you what was so important that I couldn't say it over the phone." I couldn't help the sarcastic tone from entering my voice. This man was so pompous and arrogant that he made my blood boil. Interestingly, he still turned me on. _How is that even possible?

_Jasper followed me to the living room, choosing the chair rather than the couch and glared at me during the process. Sitting on the couch, as far away from him as possible, I stared right back at him. We sat in an uncomfortable silence, glaring at each other, while I tried to focus on my first sentence._

"_So?" Jasper said, folding his arms across his chest. Leaning back in the chair, he propped his feet up on my coffee table while he smirked. _

"_So, you remember us fucking last New Year's Eve, right?" I watched him blanch at my wording, obviously not expecting that to come out of my mouth. "Well, I'm pregnant, and it's definitely yours."_

_The color slowly drained from his face as his feet fell off my table. He leaned closer to me while his mouth dropped open. This was an entertaining show, watching him come to terms with the fact that he was going to be a father._

"_Wait, so from one night—one fucking night—you're pregnant?" Jasper stammered, standing up from the chair._

"_Yes," was all I could say._

"_What the fuck, Alice? How am I supposed to believe that it's even mine? You sure jumped into bed with me awfully fast, how do I know you didn't do that with half a dozen other guys?" He began pacing up and down my living while I started to shake._

"_Excuse me?" I said, unable to think coherently. _How dare he!

"_You heard me, you little slut. I'm not speaking to you again until you've arranged to have a paternity test. This is just because you know my parents are rich…you probably just want a cash payout or something. Is that right?" he shouted, making his way toward my door. I shrank away from the slamming of the door, but I was able to keep my cool for exactly two minutes before the tears began streaming down my face._

Now here I am, who knows how much later, and I'm still crying. Jasper was the father of my child, of this I was certain. I had to be strong for this baby and not let Jasper push me around. But, because this situation was so new—and still so painful—I was unable to do anything but shrink into myself and cry.

_Tomorrow. Tomorrow I will get up and forget that Jasper Cullen ever existed. I will make a doctor's appointment and start organizing my life to be able to accommodate a baby._

Knowing that I could do this alone was of small comfort to me. I didn't want to do it alone, but I could—and I _would_. The strength would come tomorrow. Today, I needed to get all of the hurt and fear out. So, I made my way to bed and cried myself to sleep.

**A/N: So, more Edward and Bella, and a little glimpse into Alice. We will get more from her later, but the main focus of this story is E&B, so just keep that in mind. I am definitely not forgetting Alice…I promise.**

**OK, leave me some love!**


	15. Chapter 15 The Touch of Love

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in posting…RL has been way too, um, real lately. I will try to post the next chapter in a week.**

**This was a fun chapter to write…I think you'll see why.**

Chapter 15 – The Touch of Love

"The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them."

Thomas Merton

BPOV

Edward was rubbing my arms, while we were cuddling on the couch. His presence was extremely comforting, and I noticed that the nausea that I had been fighting all day wasn't as bad now. I had put on my favorite movie, at Edward's insistence, as he stated that he had never seen it. It was a very sweet request, and I was very content watching it in his arms.

By the time the movie was over, I was starving. My stomach growled, as if to accentuate that statement, and Edward chuckled.

"I'm pretty hungry, and clearly, you need to eat. What would you like to eat? Pizza is easy, but I think Jazz said you don't eat that, right?" Edward said, standing up and stretching.

Following him to the kitchen, I looked surprisingly at him. "You remember that?"

"Of course. I remember everything that I've learned about you."

"Wow," I whispered, stretching out the word to three syllables. "Um, yeah, normally I would say I don't eat pizza, but it actually sounds really good right now. What kind of pizza do you like?"

"Nope," he said, shaking his head.

"Huh?"

"You are the one who is pregnant…you tell me what you want. I'm not allergic to anything, and the only toppings on pizzas I don't like are anchovies. Gross." He was adorable when he wrinkled his nose.

Swiftly kissing him, I walked toward the bedroom to grab my phone. "What about Domino's?" I asked him, unlocking my phone. I had the Domino's app, so it was easy to order. Those months with Jasper paid off for something, anyway. Normally, I would have never had a Domino's app on my phone. I had just never gotten around to deleting it after he and I broke up. "I was thinking black olive and mushroom. Do you want half pepperoni or sausage or something?"

Warm arms wound around my waist, and lips were kissing my neck before I heard his response, "Just order the black olive and mushroom. I don't have to eat meat for every meal, beautiful."

After punching in the order on my phone, I put it down and slowly turned so that I was facing Edward. "Have I told you that you are the most amazing man I've met in years? Your brother was so adamant about his meat, that he drove me crazy with my 'stupid diet,' as he called it. But you, you are truly wonderful."

Bending his head, he kissed me gently. My arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer to me as he deepened the kiss. Quickly, the gentle kiss turned heated and searing. His lips were soft and moist, and they moved with mine in perfect rhythm. I felt his hands working their way under my shirt, rubbing my back in small circles. Warmth spread throughout my body, making me physically ache for him.

I broke away from him so I could breathe, his lips continued across my face, kissing the sensitive spot behind my ear. He nipped and bit at my ear, causing shivers of anticipation and longing to run down my body. The air was thin around us, and I found that I could hardly breathe. Because of his closeness, I could feel his erection pressing into my stomach, and I felt the wetness pool between my legs.

"How much time do we have?" He murmured into my neck, while he placed open mouthed kisses all down it.

"Hmmm?" I said, unintelligibly. _Apparently, my brain can't function when his lips are on me…good to know._

Edward leaned away from me, smiling the crooked smile that I loved. "How much time do we have before the pizza comes, beautiful?"

"Pizza? Oh! Not too long, maybe we should wait until after food?" I blushed. _I really sound like a moron sometimes._

"OK, beautiful. To be continued, then," he whispered, smiling at me as he leaned down to kiss me on the lips. I melted into him, kissing him harder. Chuckling, he pulled away slightly, dragging us toward the living room. I almost protested, but I knew that he was right.

Sure enough, the food arrived within ten minutes. Edward winked at me as he paid the delivery girl, and I blushed. I took the wink to mean that ten minutes definitely wouldn't have been enough time for him.

I grabbed us a couple of water bottles from the fridge, and placed them on the kitchen table. Edward brought the pizza over, dishing up both of us. We chatted while we ate; about the weather, Alice and finally the conversation came around to our baby.

"So, do you have any names you like?" Edward said conversationally. Not expecting that, I almost spit out my water. I stared at him, blinking like an idiot. "What? We need to talk about it at some point, right?"

"Um, yeah, OK. I just wasn't expecting you to say that, I guess." I thought for a minute, waiting for the blush to leave my face. "Well, if it's a boy, I would like the middle name to be Charles, if that's OK?"

"It's perfect, beautiful. Do you have a middle name for a girl?" Edward wanted to know.

Cocking my head to the side, I glanced at my dad's picture on the wall. "What about Carlie?"

"I love it. Now, we have middle names, and that's the hard part," he said, smirking at me as he leaned back in his chair. "Are you finished eating?"

"Yes, I think so. What do you want to do now?" Smiling at him, I leaned forward a bit. He shook his head, laughing at me.

"We just finished eating, beautiful. Let's let the food settle. Want to watch some TV?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm not really that into TV. Do you want to pick out a movie to watch? I have a lot of them in the hallway."

"Sure, I'll go look." Edward stood up, walking toward the hallway. I busied myself with cleaning up our dishes and putting away the left over pizza, so I wasn't expecting his arms to wrap around me so quickly. "Did you even look at the movies? Or did you just grab a random one?" Teasing him was so much fun.

"No, I just saw one I wanted to see immediately, so I grabbed it. Besides, it's a lot more fun holding onto you than the wall while I look for a movie," he teased back.

The movie he had picked out was _Tombstone_, one of my favorites, so we didn't even have to argue about it. The movie was very entertaining, but I was so tired that I found myself falling asleep pretty early on. Edward picked me up and carried me to the bed at some point during the movie. All I registered was his arms around me, holding me from behind as we snuggled in bed.

"Bella?" Edward whispered in my ear, causing me to shiver.

"Hmm?"

"Are you _too_ sleepy?"

"Hmm…" I turned around slowly and started kissing him. His hands began to roam my body, sliding up my back unclasping my bra, before sliding down my body and cupping my ass. He massaged softly, which made me wet for him all over again.

"At least we don't have to remember protection this time," Edward murmured into my mouth, as he shifted on top of me.

Chuckling, I added, "Not like we remembered it last time."

He chuckled with me, before bringing his mouth back to mine. "This time, beautiful, I'm going to take my time."

Moaning, I wrapped my legs around him, bringing him closer to me. He hitched my leg up under his arm, grinding into me. The sensation of his hard cock hitting me just right, in my center, almost killed me. Electric shocks ran down my body every time he pushed against me. While his mouth continued to move on mine, my arms were pulling his shirt off. He reluctantly left my mouth just long enough to throw the shirt away from the bed.

Kissing down my neck, he pulled my shirt up a little, and revealed my stomach. He tenderly placed open mouth kisses on my stomach before moving up to my breasts, taking the shirt with him. Before I knew it, my shirt was off, along with my bra, and we were kissing and holding each other chest to chest.

Edward's hands moved down to my sweatpants, gently tugging them down, as his mouth moved to my ear. After sliding down my pants and underwear, he began massaging my upper thigh, moving ever closer to where I most wanted him to be. But his hands were not moving fast enough for me, so I reached down and attempted to place his hand on my center.

He chuckled, removing my hand from his, and whispering in my ear, "I'm taking my time tonight, love, don't rush me." Sitting back so he could look me in the eye, he slowly licked his lips. "Any objections?"

Unable to speak, I shook my head, feeling the anticipation building up again in my body. His lips were everywhere at once, it seemed. My breasts were on fire from his mouth, but as he moved downward he left his hands to gently massage them.

Every inch of my body came alive and aware, as Edward continued to move down my stomach. My legs were tingling, arms aching from the effort of holding him, skin on fire from arousal, face flushed, and my core so very wet. When Edward began kissing my thigh, I almost came undone. I fisted his hair, gently pulling him toward my center, and this time he complied.

His tongue made contact with me and, holding back a scream, I grabbed the sheets on my bed. Lapping, sucking, gently biting and angling his finger just right, Edward made me cum harder than I ever had before. I was shaking by the time he made his way back up my body, connecting his mouth with mine once again.

As he pushed into me, my body felt almost raw. Between the pure emotion of the day and the massive orgasm that I was still coming down from, my body was extremely sensitive. I felt alive as he began to move, like all of my nerve endings were tingling. His hand slid up my leg, my stomach and chest, resting on my breast.

He moved slowly at first, continuing to kiss me until I was breathless. Then, as he was kissing down my neck again, he started moving faster. Before long, we were both breathless and straining into each other. Edward rested his forehead against mine, as he snaked his hand in between us. He began rubbing my clit, which was bringing me closer to yet another orgasm.

"Edward…" I murmured, as our eyes locked.

"Bella," he managed to say, just as my orgasm hit me. A few moments later, Edward came undone.

Coming down from the glow of two glorious orgasms, I cuddled closer to Edward. He rested his head against mine, still breathing heavily. I felt content and loved in his arms, and that reminded me of what I had wanted to talk to him about.

"Edward?"

"Hmm?"

"What made you come over here today, of all days?"

He was silent for a minute before responding, "I haven't been sleeping well. I was exhausted this morning, and I thought my light was green, not red. I ended up causing an accident."

I sat up quickly. "Oh my gosh, are you OK?"

He smiled at me. "Yes, I'm fine, beautiful. Lay back down." Going back to my original position, I listened to his story with interest. "So, basically, because I've been missing you so much, I wasn't getting any sleep, and I was in an accident. I figured after, that I had to come and see you. I knew that I wasn't going to be OK until I saw you again."

"Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry!" I said, close to bursting into tears. "I should have never pushed you away."

"Beautiful, I didn't tell you that story so that you would feel guilty. And I expect you to tell me exactly what was going on in that pretty little head of yours when you asked me to leave. But," he whispered, twisting so he could kiss me on the forehead, "for right now, I'm just happy to be here."

I wanted to say more, to explain right then and there, but my eyes were starting to close again. My last thoughts were of Edward being in an accident that was my fault, as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

~~ooOoo~~

Someone pounding on my front door woke me up. I grabbed my cell phone and checked the time—2:37 AM. _Who the hell is pounding on my door in the middle of the night?_ I threw on my robe, half ran to the door and checked the peep hole.

_Jasper?_

Opening the door, just a crack, I glared at him. "What the hell are you doing here, Jazz? It's the middle of the night!"

Jasper looked, and smelled, drunk. His hair was a mess, clothes disheveled and he was slightly wobbly. "Bella, I need to talk to you. You are the only person who ever understood me."

_I'm sorry…WHAT?_ "Are you kidding me?"

"Bells, please, just let me in. I need to talk to you about Alice," he slurred, pushing on the door. Silently berating him in my head, I opened the door so he could stumble through.

"OK, now, what do you want?" I demanded, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I don't know if this thing with Alice is true or not, but I love _you_, Bells! I want you back!" he whined, leaning against the door.

"Jasper Cullen, that's bullshit and you know it! You never loved me, you are just scared because of this situation with Alice." I softened my voice a little before continuing, "I know this was a huge shock for you, it was for me, too! But, I have moved on…I have a new boyfriend, and I'm very happy with him. In fact, he's asleep in my bed as we speak."

His head popped up, a shocked stare directed toward the hallway and my bedroom. He didn't say anything, but his mouth dropped open.

Rolling my eyes, I carefully took a step away from him. "I'm allowed to move on, Jazz. It's been two months since we broke up."

A quiet voice from behind me made me almost jump out of my skin. "I don't think that's the problem here, Bella."

**A/N: OK, who called this ending? Anyone see it coming?**


	16. Chapter 16 Revelations

**A/N: So, the confrontation is here! I know that you all have been waiting for this. I hope you enjoy it! Originally, I thought about writing it from Edwards POV, but I really wanted Bella's thoughts as she listened to it.**

**Once again, I must thank torisurfergirl and starpower31 for kicking my butt on these chapters. Seriously, couldn't do any of this without you both, and I love you guys for it!**

Chapter 16 - Revelations

"Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure."

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

BPOV

_His head popped up, a shocked stare directed toward the hallway and my bedroom. He didn't say anything, but his mouth dropped open._

_Rolling my eyes, I carefully took a step away from him. "I'm allowed to move on, Jazz. It's been two months since we broke up."_

_A quiet voice from behind me made me almost jump out of my skin. "I don't think that's the problem here, Bella."_

Turning, I saw Edward standing just a few feet behind me, wearing only his boxers. He walked toward me, wrapping his arms around me from behind, but not taking his eyes off Jasper. Leaning into Edward, I turned my eyes toward Jasper once again and _his_ eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. I braced myself for the anger I was sure was coming.

It didn't take very long for him to explode.

"What the hell is this?" Jasper yelled. Pushing the door aside, he came into the apartment and slammed the door. "What kind of brother are you, that you're shacking up with this bitch without even talking to me first?"

"Stop," Edward commanded, calm and stern. "If you are going to insult Bella in her own house, then you can leave right now. If you're going to discuss this rationally, then you can stay. You're my brother, and I do owe you an explanation. But,"—Edward whispered, pulling me behind him and stepping closer to Jasper—"I won't hesitate to throw you out on your ass if you don't calm down."

Jasper looked visibly shaken at Edward's tone of voice. Taking a step back, he looked defiantly at Edward before continuing, his voice a little quieter than before, "Are you kidding me? You didn't think that this was important enough to have a conversation with me _before_ you started fucking her? You knew how I felt about her, and you're my brother…but for some reason you chose to completely ignore that and start fucking the women I love?"

I couldn't see Edward's face, but I felt his entire body tense. His arms were still wrapped around me, even though my chest was pressed into his back, and they tightened just a little. Pressing myself into his back a little more, I began to shake with anger.

"Jazz," Edward said in a warning voice. "This isn't a conversation _you_ want _her_ to overhear." Edward turned me to face him, lifting his hand to cup my face. "I'm sorry, love, but I need to speak with my brother alone. Can you please give us a minute?"

Looking between the two brothers, I attempted to gauge their moods. In no way did I want them to start fighting because of me. I looked directly into Edward's eyes which, I noticed, caused Jasper to stiffen slightly.

Edward smiled, dipping down to kiss me swiftly. "It's OK, love. I promise."

"I'll give you two a minute," I said, sighing in defeat before I moved my glance from Edward to Jasper. With a sharp intake of breath, Jasper met my eyes. I took a step toward him, glowering. "Behave."

Turning away from them, I walked toward my bedroom, not quite closing the door. My phone was on the bedside table, so I picked it up to see if I had anything new from Alice. I had seen a text come through a couple hours earlier.

:_Seriously, what an ass:_

_Alice could really put a fine point on something_, I snickered.

After responding quickly, simply agreeing with her, I moved back to the door. I leaned against the wall next to the door, listening quietly to the conversation in the other room. For a minute, I thought about sitting on the bed and not listening to their conversation. However, the probability that Jasper would lose his cool and start a fight with Edward was too likely, so I felt I had to listen in—just in case.

"…don't believe you. This is just classic Edward…wanting something that I have!" Jasper swore furiously. I couldn't see either of them very clearly, but when Edward spoke, I could almost see his rigid posture, darkened eyes and lips pursed in anger.

"Jazz, don't be any more stupid than you already are. Yes, I fell in love with her before you two broke up…and yes, she and I had a relationship of sorts also." Edward's voice was quiet. Instinctively, I held my breath waiting for Jasper's reply, or Edward to continue. "We got together after we saw you and Alice go into her spare room. I assumed that you were finally done with Bella."

"What are you saying? That you are in love with my girlfriend?"

"No. I'm saying that I'm in love with _my_ girlfriend," he said quietly, still sounding calm. "Jazz, she was never yours. You told me yourself that you didn't think you two were meant for each other. In fact, I believe what you said exactly was, 'she's an OK waste of time for now,' which didn't bathe me in confidence in your relationship."

In the pale light coming from the kitchen, I could just make out the dark outline of the two of them. I saw Edward move closer to Jasper, lowering his voice slightly before continuing. Jasper was silent.

"How do you think that made me feel on New Year's Eve when I realized that I was in love with her?" Tears filled my eyes at that last statement. Edward was too good for me. "Listen to me very carefully, because I don't want to have to repeat myself again…_ever. _I am in love with her…I intend to marry her someday. She and I are having a child together."

_OH MY GOD! What did he say that for?_ I felt my breath coming out a little ragged. There was no preparation for that statement. We had never discussed what would happen if Jasper confronted us, what we would say or how we would handle it.

"What!?" Jasper practically yelled. "How long have you been sleeping with my girlfriend?"

"Don't ever call her that again, Jazz. I'm serious. And that's none of your business. _She _is none of your business," Edward stated, the calm beginning to wear thin in his voice.

"Like hell it isn't! I was in love with her!" Jasper all but whined.

"No you weren't!" Edward was definitely upset now. "You told me that you weren't, so don't try to bullshit me now! I _am_ in love with her, and we _are_ having a baby…just like you and Alice. Speaking of which, you better do right by that girl, or I will call our mother, Jazz, I swear to God."

Jasper was quiet, but I could see him shifting a little in place. Edward continued his voice calming down just a little, "Jazz, I don't want to fight with you. But I will always fight _for_ her."

"Ed—" Jasper started, but Edward cut him off.

"No, I'm done with this. Go home, sleep it off, and call Alice in the morning. Apologize for whatever stupid, idiotic thing you said to her and be there for her. I'll call you later in the week to see if you've calmed down."

Hearing the finality in his tone, I knew that the conversation must be over. Turning around, I went to sit on the bed and wait for him. Just a moment or two later, Edward slowly opened the door and stood silently, watching me.

"I guess you heard some of that," he said, not moving away from the door. "I'm so sorry that you had to hear that. I don't know how you felt about Jazz, of course, but that couldn't have been easy to hear…"

"Edward," I whispered, cutting him off. "You said that you love me."

Slowly, Edward walked toward the bed, kneeling down in front of me and placing his hands on my face. "I am _so_ in love with you."

I stared at him for a moment, trying to find the lie in his eyes. Finding nothing but honesty, I melted into his hands. While the tears began falling in earnest, Edward grabbed me and pulled me onto his lap. Through the stupid tears, and shaking sobs, I heard Edward trying to sooth me. He mumbled calming words, reassurances that he does actually love me, and that he wouldn't be anywhere else in the world right now.

Unfortunately, all his words did was made me cry harder. To be honest, I couldn't exactly figure out why I was crying this hard. Being this close to Edward always made my head a little hazy anyway, but given that I was already this upset and befuddled, my head was fuzzier than normal. I shook my head, trying to clear it a little, before I looked up into Edward's eyes.

"I'm s-s-sorry, E-E-E-Edward," I stuttered, trying to get my crying under control. "I'm just so scared right now, but you are making this almost too easy."

He leaned down and kissed my forehead, continuing to rub circles on my back. "Tell me, beautiful, what has you scared the most right now?"

Sighing, I tried to formulate coherent thoughts so I could explain. "I've never long-term relationships. I've dated here and there, but never for very long. Eventually, the guys would give up on me and move on. I'm terrified of commitment, and terrified even more of not committing and ending up alone." I took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm also scared of having a baby. I'm an only child, so I was never around babies…I don't know if I'll be a good Mom! What if I don't know how to change a diaper, or feed the baby?"

Edward shushed me, pulling me tighter against him. "Bella, it's OK to be scared of the baby stuff. We will go to a bookstore this weekend and get every baby book we can find. We will both be experts before you know it. Now," he continued, kissing my forehead, "about the commitment issues. Do you want to talk about that? Would you prefer to just step back a little and go as slow as we can considering we are having a baby?"

I shivered slightly under his touch, while I thought about his questions. "Yesterday, I told you about my dad and how much he meant to me. Do you remember?"

"Of course."

"Well, when I was a teenager, just out of high school, my dad said something to me that I will always remember. I was post-breakup from yet another loser who, I thought at the time, was special and that I could have stayed with. This guy had cheated on me, and I was so upset over the whole thing that Dad was comforting me." I paused, taking a shaky breath. "He said that I didn't want to marry someone like that. 'Bells', he said, 'you can't stay with someone because they are comfortable. You stay because it physically hurts to be away from them.'

"I pushed that aside while I was with Jasper. I didn't want a relationship, really, but I wanted someone to spend time with now and then." Then I looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "You said that you didn't know how I felt about Jasper. Did you think I was in love with him?"

Edward shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. I just wasn't sure if you were hurt by anything that I had said to him. I basically called him a liar for saying he felt anything for you."

Chuckling, I pulled away, standing up slowly. "I knew he was lying, trying to make his and my relationship sound bigger and better because he was mad. I'm not upset at all, I promise."

Standing up next to me, Edward eyed me cautiously. "I don't know about you, beautiful, but I'm really tired. I want to keep talking to you, but my eyes are closing. Do you want me to make some coffee so we can stay up a little longer?"

I shook my head, turning around and flicking the light off. "Let's get some sleep. I feel better just telling you how I'm feeling. That's totally different for me. I don't usually share my feelings."

Sliding into the bed, I turned to my side, facing Edward. He slid into bed with me, facing me as well. The exhausted look he had on his face was evidence enough that he needed sleep.

"One more thing before I let you fall asleep." He nodded and smiled at me. "The whole point of me telling you what my dad said was to explain…I was in physical pain being away from you. I don't want to do that again."

"Me neither, beautiful. And, don't worry, I know you aren't ready to say anything back to me, but I will continue to say this to you. I love you."

Smiling, I pulled him close, giving him a warm kiss. Then, I laid my head down on his chest, closing my eyes and wishing for this moment to last forever.

**A/N: So, good? Bad? Let me know! See you all in a week!**


	17. Chapter 17 Support System

**A/N: Hello again! Welcome to Chapter 17! We are delving forward a little with the happy couple. I really enjoyed this chapter. It was fun to write, so I hope you enjoy it as well!**

**Once again, thank you to my awesome beta team torisurfergirl and starpower31. Couldn't make it without you two, thank you!**

Chapter 17 – Support System

"It is probably not love that makes the world go around, but rather those mutually supportive alliances through which partners recognize their dependence on each other for the achievement of shared and private goals."

Fred Allen

EPOV

The first thing that I had begun to notice about myself lately, was that all I did was smile like an idiot. It had been almost two weeks since Bella and I had gotten back together, and I don't remember a time in my life where I had been happier. We weren't living together —yet—but, I was staying at her place every night. Her morning sickness was still pretty bad, and I was very concerned about leaving her home alone for too long. She had fainted twice in the last couple ofweeks, and she could hardly keep anything down.

While, traditionally, I would have been scared at her apparent loss of weight, I knew that some women had a hard time with morning sickness. I was trying to be as supportive as I could be, but it finally came to a point yesterday where the concern over her lack of eating got to me.

"_Beautiful," I said, wiping the sweat off her brow. Bella was laying her head on the toilet seat, after losing her entire breakfast. I couldn't remember a meal in the last three days that she had kept down. "I think it's time to see a doctor about this. You have an appointment next week, but I really think we need to bump it up to this week. I'm getting worried about you."_

_Bella started to shake her head, but stopped abruptly and leaned into the toilet, losing more food. She was shaking slightly as she placed her head back down, looking up at me. She looked defeated and small, as I watched tears form in her eyes. "OK. Can you call them for me?" she whispered, almost inaudibly._

"_Of course, beautiful. Do you need me to stay with you, or can I go call them really quick?"_

"_They don't open until 8am…it's only seven right now. Stay," she begged. "Call them when you get to work?"_

_Smiling at her, I lifted the cup of water to her mouth so she could rinse and spit, and nodded my approval._

So, here we were, driving to Bella's doctor appointment. There weren't any appointments available yesterday, and they didn't seem to think her situation was critical. That meant that Bella and I had to wait until today to see the doctor. The doctor's office was on the opposite side of town of Bella's work. I wanted to go with her, of course, so I took a couple hours off and went to pick her up.

Holding her hand, we sat in the doctor's office waiting for him to come in. We had been waiting for about twenty minutes, when an older man in a white coat sat down at the desk.

"So, Isabella…" he said, smiling at the two of us.

"Bella," Bella and I said at the same time.

"Well, Bella, I understand that you just found out that you're pregnant." He continued after we both nodded, "I always like to meet with the new couples that come to see me, get a brief history and discuss any issues or questions you have. Once we are done with that, we'll go to the exam room. Is that alright with you two?"

"Yes, doctor. Thank you," I breathed a sigh of relief. I was hoping we could get to know him a little first. Bella and I had struggled to locate a doctor that her insurance would cover. It took almost a dozen calls to locate him, and Bella was a little concerned that it was a male doctor.

Dr. Bertie, as he introduced himself, went through quite a few questions. He discussed Bella's last menstrual period, which made her blush furiously, he asked about previous pregnancies, of which there were none, and he asked Bella if she wanted to have a natural birth.

"Um, honestly, I haven't thought about it. I'm still getting used to the idea of being pregnant," Bella explained, taking my hand.

"Doctor? Bella's morning sickness has been really bad. She hardly keeps any food down, she's fainted a few times…all I can get her to eat these days are crackers and tiny sips of water. Is there anything we can do? I'm getting concerned." I wanted to make sure the doctor knew just how bad it was, even though I knew that Bella wouldn't have wanted to divulge everything. She was so shy and private.

"Oh, yes, actually I can write her a prescription for an anti-nausea drug called Zophran. It's perfectly safe for the baby, and it will help her keep food down." He looked directly at Bella. "Is that something you want to try?"

Bella bit her lip and nodded. "It's been really bad."

"No problem, let me write that out for you now." The doctor busied himself with writing the prescription, after calling his nurse. She came into the office and walked us to the exam room, where Bella was told to take her clothes off below the waist, before she left us alone.

"Do you want me to leave?" I asked her.

She snorted. "No, it's nothing you haven't seen."

Smiling at her, I took the seat next to the exam table and looked around the room. There was a TV stationed right next to the bed, and a few machines I didn't recognize underneath it. Bella was gently hopping up onto the exam table, when I took note of the metal foot holdings on the sides. I had seen similar things in movies, but never in real life. Briefly, I wondered why they had oven mitts on them.

The doctor walked in soon after that, followed by the same nurse. "So, Bella," he said, reading his clipboard. "I understand the first day of your last period was December 18?"

Bella nodded.

"Today is March 16…that would make you thirteen weeks on the dot." The doctor looked up at us, a puzzled look on his face. "Usually, women come in much earlier in their pregnancy to see me. Did you guys wait for a reason?"

Bella and I looked at each other; we both knew the reason she didn't see a doctor was because of our separation. She was too depressed to consider anything was going on, so she never went to see a doctor. Bella bit her lip, but I was the one to speak. "It's kind of a long story, actually. But we didn't wait this long on purpose. Is that a problem?"

The doctor shook his head. "No, it's not a problem. I just usually see women earlier for the first appointment. Also, since she is so far along, we don't normally see morning sickness so pronounced. Typically, morning sickness will be bad in the first trimester and be gone by around weeks ten to twelve. Perhaps," he said, smiling at Bella. "You are almost done with it and you don't need the prescription."

"Oh, I really hope so!" Bella said, smiling back.

After that, the doctor started the exam. The machine below the TV turned out to be a sonogram. Shortly after the exam started, he turned it on and used a long device that he inserted into Bella to begin the sonogram. He maneuvered it around a little, but before I could blink there was a little tiny flickering of movement on the TV.

Standing up, I walked over to Bella, who had tears streaming down her face while she stared at the TV. I grabbed her hand, squeezing it tightly, while we both gazed in wonder at the screen.

"What you are seeing here is this black circular area is the sack that the baby is in. This slightly shady area looks like the placenta, and this little thing squirming like crazy in the middle is your baby." Dr. Bertie froze the image for a second, and then it went back to normal. "Looks like his heart is beating at a good rate, and he's moving around a lot also. That's good! Let me just take some measurements…hmmm."

The image froze again abruptly, and the doctor was using the sonogram tool to measure something to the right of the baby. I looked on curiously, trying to figure out what he was doing. Bella glanced up at me, and from the look on her face, I could tell she was wondering what was happening as well.

"Bella, have you been experiencing any cramping or stomach pain other than the nausea?" The doctor asked, turning his attention from the TV to Bella.

"Um, well my stomach hurts all the time, but I spend most of my day throwing up. I assumed the pain was from that."

"Doctor, what's going on?" I asked, trying not to get angry. It felt to me like the doctor was beating around the bush.

"Bella, you have a large fibroid on the right side of your uterus. A fibroid is a benign tumor that can grow in a uterus and can cause problems with getting pregnant. In that situation, the fibroid is typically removed by surgical means. However, there is nothing that you can do about fibroids while you are pregnant."

"OK…" I still wasn't getting it. A tumor sounded scary, but he said benign. If I remember biology correctly, that meant it wasn't cancerous.

The doctor sat down on a chair, looking at both of us. "Most of the time, women don't experience any problems from fibroids. The reason I asked if you were having any cramping or stomach pains is because the fibroid is quite large. The diameter is close to 5 centimeters. Now that you are out of the first trimester, the fibroid could stop growing. They typically grow a lot in the beginning because you have a large amount of hormones in your body, and they feed off of that."

Squeezing Bella's hand a little tighter, I could see that she wasn't able to speak. "Doctor, how serious is this?"

"At the moment, not very. If it keeps growing, it could be a problem. We will be monitoring it throughout the pregnancy. In rare cases, they can cause miscarriages. Most of the time, they just cause pain to the mother, and potential cesareans at birth."

After speaking for a few more minutes, Bella and I gathered her things—including a bag of baby magazines and coupons and stuff that the nurse gave us on our way out—and walked to the car. We were both silent, still thinking over the information we just obtained. Yes, the baby was healthy. Yes, we got something to help with Bella's nausea, and yes, we got to see our baby for the first time.

Unfortunately, I felt like we had a ticking time bomb on our hands. All we could do was wait for this fibroid to cause a problem with the baby or Bella.

We didn't speak the whole way back to Bella's work. I knew that she was upset and didn't want to talk about it, but I also didn't want that wall to come back up and have her shut me out again. We were both worried, and we needed to be there for each other.

Pulling up to the side of her office building, I put the car in park and reached for her hands. "Bella, don't shut me out."

She shook her head. "I'm not, honestly. I'm trying to process everything I heard today. That's a lot to take in."

I brought her hands up to my mouth, kissing them gently. "I'll see you later. Do you want me to come over again tonight?"

Smirking at me, she leaned over and kissed me on the mouth. "You ask me that every day, and every day I tell you the same thing. I always want you to come over."

"OK, beautiful. I'll see you around 6PM," I said, chuckling.

After Bella went back to work, I decided that instead of heading back to my office, I would see what my mother was doing this afternoon. She was an interior designer and worked an irregular schedule. Texting her and asking for a couple hours this afternoon, didn't take but a second, so I put the car in drive and started toward my parent's house.

I saw my mother's car when I pulled into the driveway, so I hopped out and ran up the walkway, opening the front door. Esme Cullen was sitting at the kitchen table with a large variety of color swatches spread out before her. She smiled at me when I came in.

"Edward! I haven't spoken with you in too long. How are you, dear?"

Bending down, I kissed her on her forehead, before joining her at the table. "I've had better days. How are you, Mom?"

Her suspicious eyes were centered on me, and I felt all my secrets being picked out of my head. "Tell me what's going on?"

Sighing in defeat, I lowered my eyes and began to tell her the whole story. Parts she knew already; me meeting and falling for Bella, and the subsequent breakup. That was hard to hide from my mother's prying eyes. I filled her in on sleeping with Bella on New Year's Eve, the car accident, the baby and finally the doctor's appointment.

Like the wonderful person she was, Esme just listened throughout the whole story, not offering any interruptions. Once I was done, however, all bets were off.

"Well, that's it I guess. Bella and I have been practically living together for the last two weeks, and we have been getting along great. She's…well, she's been hurt before, so she has some trust issues that we are working through. There is this wall that she brings up when she feels I'm getting too close, but she's really trying to be better about that. She's trying to open up…"I trailed off, not sure what more I should say. My mother's silence was very unnerving.

"You love her," she stated simply.

"Yes."

"And you two are having a baby?"

"Yes."

Finally, a reaction came out of her that I really wasn't prepared for. My mother—the unbreakable rock—began crying. "I'm going to be a grandmother?!"

Esme stood up from the table and threw her arms around me with tears streaming down her face. She began talking in lightning speed about meeting Bella, a baby shower, and telling everyone she knew. Then she began talking about marriage. That's when I had to stop her.

"Mom, wait. Hold on a sec, please?" Standing up, I disconnected her arms from around my neck and held her away from me. She looked at me with confusion, but didn't say anything. "I actually asked Bella to marry me the first night I met her. I knew immediately that she and I were perfect together. She turned me down and freaked out. I promised her that I wouldn't ask her again until she was ready.

"Yes, I love her, Mom, I knew that the first time I met her. And even though we are having a baby together, I still don't feel that she is ready for marriage. I won't tell you why, those are her stories to share, not mine. But, she has major commitment and trust issues. I will not push her into anything. For the moment, we spend every night together, we talk every day and share everything with each other. We are working towards spending our lives together."

Esme stepped back, folding her arms across her chest and surveyed me again. "That's not the real issue here, is it? What else is there?"

I sighed. "I'm terrified here, Mom. I don't know how to be a father. Bella is going through so much, and I don't want her to think any less of me, or think that I can't help her through things. But, honestly, I'm terrified!"

She led me to the living room, and sat down on the couch, pointing for me to join her. "Why don't you tell me exactly what you are scared about, and maybe I can help?"

Leaning back into the couch, I closed my eyes. "I finally have her in my arms, Mom. I was like a dead person the last few months, as you can well remember—"

She snorted. "Yes, `Morose Edward' is what your father and I were calling you. Couldn't smile if someone paid you. Anyway, continue."

"Anyway, she needs me so much right now, and I'm more than happy to be with her. But I'm afraid that if I tell her that I'm scared, or that I don't know how to handle something, or react to something, she'll close down on me again."

Sitting up slightly, I looked at my mother and told her the biggest fear I had, "What if I'm a terrible father?"

She shifted toward me slightly and grabbed my hand. "We all think that before the baby gets here. Your father did. That's a normal fear for a first time father, honey. I don't know Bella, so it's hard for me to comment on how she would react to something, but I can tell you this—the most important thing about relationships, that you probably already know, but it's my job as your mother to tell you."

"What's that?"

"Communication. You know her better than I do, but it's always a good idea to be honest with someone you are trying to have a relationship with. Trust me on this one, while her trust issues may cause problems now and then, but if you aren't honest with her, the trust issues will never go away."

I nodded my understanding. She began talking about the baby again, and made me promise that when Bella was feeling better I bring her over for dinner so that my parents could meet her. I promised her, and she continued to discuss baby plans. For a moment, I thought about telling her about Jasper and Alice, but that didn't feel like it was my place either.

Spending a couple of hours with my mother was very comforting to me. By the time I left, it was nearly 4PM. I knew that Bella usually got off around 4:30 or 5, so I decided I would just go to her house and meet her there.

By the time I got to her apartment, it was almost 5 o'clock. I had hit some traffic and construction that I had forgotten about, so it took longer. Plus, I picked up some dinner. Pizza was one of Bella's favorites, and it was extremely fast. Knocking on her door, I shuffled the pizza a little so that my hand wouldn't get burned.

Bella opened the door and smirked at me. "I need to get you a key."

"Hey, beautiful." Walking in, I kissed her softly, and then headed to the kitchen. There were several remarks that Bella made now and then that made me wonder about her commitment issues, but I hadn't talked to her about them yet.

"You're home early," she said, opening her cabinet and grabbing two plates.

_She said `home' as if I live here…hmmm._ "Yeah, I blew off work and went to visit my mother. She wants to meet you."

"Oh."

My gaze flew to Bella instantly, and I could see the wall coming up. "Bella, wait, stop! Don't freak out. She knows that you're pregnant and she wants to meet the mother of her grandchild. I swear, it's nothing more than that." I was almost begging at this point. We had come so far in the last two weeks.

Shaking her head, Bella sat down at the kitchen table, but didn't meet my eyes. "That's fine. How about they come over for dinner on Sunday? I picked up my prescription on the way home today, so if it works I should be able to cook."

"Bella," I whispered, sitting down at the table. "It doesn't have to be this soon. If you aren't ready to meet them, just tell me."

"OK," she sighed, and finally looked up at me. "I spoke with Alice today."

Not commenting on her changing the subject, I grabbed a piece of pizza from the box and began eating. "Oh, yeah? How is she feeling?"

"Well, she's still not eating much either. She's not throwing up like I am, but she just feels dizzy all the time. I told her she needed to see her doctor, and she said that she already has. She saw him the week she found out…but she never told me about it!"

"Maybe she didn't want to bug you. You know Alice, she seems to think she is intruding when she stops by when I'm here." I pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess you are right. Anyway, she said that she spoke to Jasper yesterday."

My ears perked up at that news. "Really?"

Bella nodded, taking another bite of pizza. "Yes, and he said that he was still thinking things through, but he wanted her to know that he would be financially responsible for their `mistake' as he put it."

Rolling my eyes, I said, "God, my brother is an ass."

"Yeah, really. Anyway, she said thanks but no thanks, and hung up on him. She's determined to do this herself." Bella looked down at her plate, playing with her food. "Should we say something to Jasper?"

I thought about that for a minute before responding, "Not yet. But, that won't stop us from being there for Alice. We should invite her over tomorrow. Just to hang out."

"Good idea! Thanks!"

The rest of the night flew by without any further mention of my mother, or the baby. We listened to music while we both read for a while, then Bella jumped in the shower and I got ready for bed. I was marveling at how we were falling into a routine, when Bella came out of the bathroom with nothing on.

"Look at this!" she exclaimed, motioning to her belly. I felt my cock stir while looking at her naked body, but I tried to concentrate on what she was trying to show me. I saw her ribs poking out just a little, which was probably because of the throwing up, but I also saw that just below her belly button, her stomach was poking out. "There is a little bit of baby coming out!"

Walking over to her, feeling the reality of Bella being pregnant, I knelt down and kissed her stomach. "Hello, baby, I'm your daddy. I can't wait to meet you."

Bella pulled me up, tears threatening to fall, and kissed me, winding her arms around my neck. Flicking the light off, I pulled Bella toward the bed, gently laying her down. I leaned on my elbows, smoothing her hair away from her face, and capturing her tears with my lips.

"Bella, I know that there is a lot going on right now, and I know you are scared…"I paused, thinking of my mother's advice. "…the truth is that I am also. But I am so happy to be with you. I love you, sweet girl. I really do."

She didn't say anything, and I didn't expect her to. Just her knowing how I felt was enough for now. I had lightened my mind by telling her one of my secrets. Bella and I made love slowly that night. I knew we weren't perfect, but somehow I knew everything would be fine.

**A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that chapter as much as I did. Let me know what you think of this little story of mine!**


	18. Chapter 18 Unexpected

**A/N: Welcome back! It's time to move forward a little bit. I hope that you like this chapter!**

**Thanks to torisurfergirl and starpower31 for all their hard work! Love you girls!**

Chapter 18 – Unexpected

"Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines."

Leroy Satchel Paige

APOV

_I hate Friday nights._ When you've been hurt by love as many times as I have, you tend to hate nights that are considered date nights. The whole way home, I was accosted by 'date night': some guy buying flowers, a billboard advertising a romantic comedy, or a couple walking on the sidewalk holding hands. All this did, of course, was remind me how painfully alone I am.

While I've done the gut-wrenching sobs, silent tears, and full-on heart breaking cries, I didn't have the luxury of that right now. There was a little person inside of me depending on my strength, my love. The baby didn't understand that its mommy was damaged, or that no one wanted her. I wanted this baby and we both needed each other, so all I could do was forget my problems and try to get my life in order.

Surprisingly, my boss took the news well. She was excited for me and very supportive. Rosalie had changed in the last few weeks, seeming to be a lot nicer. I had accepted that without question, because it made my life much easier now that she didn't act nasty to me at work. That was definitely a good thing.

The rest of my life—with the soul exception of Jasper—was working out as well. It wasn't perfect, but I was able to get some things done. I had already spoken to the manager about a two-bedroom apartment in the same complex that I l lived in. My tiny little one-bedroom definitely wouldn't fit the baby and me. It was a little more expensive, but I could cut some unnecessary expenses, so that I should be able to afford it.

After my first doctor's appointment, I was able to sit down and start making plans. Money was the first thing that I had to work out; I knew that on my current salary, paying for a baby would be very difficult. I analyzed my finances and was able to cut a few things. Cable TV was the first thing to go— it was completely unnecessary.

My grocery budget was much easier to adjust. For the most part, I just chose the expensive foods that I used to buy, and opted to cut them out. I went to the cheaper stores and bought discount. After changing my shopping habits, I was able to cut my grocery allotment in half for the first week. It was definitely a promising start.

The two-bedroom apartment wouldn't be ready for a month, so I had started packing last night. That's when Jasper had called. He had sort of apologized. Not in so many words, but he had said that he understood that it was his baby, or his `mistake,' as he called it. He offered to pay a certain amount each month for baby stuff, once `the kid gets here.' I thought about his offer for exactly five seconds, before telling him no thank you, and hanging up the phone.

On one hand, I was relieved. He was admitting that the baby was his, and he was offering to help me financially. But I didn't want him to just want to pay for the baby. It was stupid, but I wanted him to want the baby with me. I wasn't the kind of person to take any kind of hand-out. My aunt and uncle never accepted a dime from anyone, but they worked very hard to be able to provide for me. Because of their influence, I just wasn't able to accept anything.

So, here I was, alone and eating a $1.00 frozen dinner from Wal-Mart, on `date night,' feeling dizzy again. I was pushing my food around more than eating it these days. It just seemed like nothing tasted good anymore. At my first doctor appointment I had weighed 104 pounds, which was less than I used to be. I was never the skinniest person in the word, but I wasn't fat either. At five feet even, my normal 110 pounds seemed a little stocky. Frowning, I briefly wondered if I had lost more weight.

I had just decided that I couldn't eat anymore and had stood up from the table, when knocking on my door made me jump. I wondered who could be at my door. I set my food back down on the table and opened the door; my breathing caught in my throat.

"Hi, Alice," Jasper said, walking in and closing the door behind him. My eyes raked over his body, and I found that my breath would still not come out right. He was wearing a dark blue jacket over tight-fitting jeans. His normally smoothed-back, blonde hair was laying over his forehead. My mind went blank for a split second before I was able to respond to him.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded. _He can't just waltz into my home like he owns the place!_

"Listen, I know that you said you don't need anything from me, and that's totally fine. I would prefer to not give you anything, anyway. But here's the thing—my parents need to know what's going on. Even if I want nothing to do with this mistake, they probably will. I'm here to invite you to visit my parents with me and tell them you're pregnant," he said, all in one breath.

Shock rolled—poured—out of my body at his statement. "Um, what?"

"Please, Alice. They will kill me if-when they find out that you are having my kid and I didn't tell them."

Walking to the couch, I sat down and stared at him. "So, what you are telling me, is that because you don't want to get in trouble with mommy and daddy, you want me to make an extremely uncomfortable visit to your parents and announce I'm having your baby?"

Jasper followed me, sat down on the coffee table across from the couch, and nodded without saying a word. I continued to stare at him, trying to pull the information from his eyes. He wasn't making any sense.

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Alice, hear me out—" he began, but I cut him off.

"OK, Jasper, here's my answer. Fuck you. Get out!" Standing up quickly, I started to point to the door when the edges of my vision began to blur. I felt my legs start to give and my vision fade. The last thing I remember seeing was Jasper lunging forward to catch me.

BPOV

After Edward and I had made love, we held each other and talked quietly. I was beginning to understand the kind of man he was and how much of an amazing person he really is. He spoke about his parents, how much he admired the community service they performed, their generous natures and their love for people in general. There was love in his voice as he spoke about his grandparents, as well.

He was fiercely protective of those he loved, with only one exception. He and Jasper, it seemed, never really got along. They were two years apart, Edward being the older one, and Jasper had followed him around like a puppy for the first six years of his life. Edward stated that he had become quite irritated at Jasper, who never seemed to get over it.

Their relationship was strained, but they loved each other. Edward laughed as he recounted some of their childhood games, which would typically end up with Jasper getting in trouble. Sheepishly, he admitted that he hadn't been very nice as a child, and Jasper had spent his whole life looking up to him and trying to win his love.

"I'm sure that I could have been a much better brother to him, but for some reason, I just didn't care. And now I realize how badly that would have affected him." He sighed, rubbing his hand up and down my back.

Sitting up slightly and leaning my chin on Edward's chest, I looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I watched how he treated you…how he would badmouth you right to your face. And this whole thing with Alice, also. If I had been a better brother, maybe I could have helped instill in him some responsibility. Maybe I could have taught him how to be kind to others and treat women with respect. His inexperience in those areas is all my fault."

"No, Edward, you can't think like that." I reached my hand up, stroking his cheek. "It's not your job to teach him that. Your parents are his first teachers and life is the second. Even if you had been a nice person to him, don't you think he would have had the same life experiences? He would have ended up the same way he is now, based on what happened with women in his life."

Shaking his head, Edward kissed my hand softly. "But most of the life experiences that he had were because I tormented him. How can I not take some blame in this?"

I sat up on the bed, curling my legs toward Edward's chest. Thinking for a moment before responding, I grabbed a piece of my hair and began swirling it around my finger. Edward smiled my favorite crooked smile, as he sat up too.

"You look so beautiful when you do that," he whispered, bringing his mouth near mine, before moving down my neck. His breath brought out the goose bumps, as he skimmed my neck and shoulders, just breathing on me.

"And you distract me when you do that," I breathed, feeling the flush of arousal creep up my face. He chuckled and began kissing my neck.

Pushing me back against the bed, Edward settled himself on top of me. Neither one of us had gotten dressed from the last time we had made love. Winding my arms around him, enjoying his kisses, I almost didn't hear my phone ring.

Edward and I looked at each other, and then at my phone on the nightstand. It was just after midnight…I picked up my phone and was shocked at the name on the caller ID. I held the phone out to Edward, not wanting to talk to Jasper at the moment.

"Jasper? Why are you calling so late?" Edward said, answering my phone for me. Curious, I watched him as he listened and his eyes grew wide. "We'll be right there."

Edward stood up, pulling me with him. He looked straight into my eyes, bringing his arms up mine to rest on my shoulders. "What's going on, Edward?" I asked, starting to feel terrified.

"It's Alice. Jasper had to take her to the hospital. She's not waking up."

**A/N: Sorry, sorry, sorry! Even my betas were mad at me for this ending! I hope to post the next one in less than a week…don't hate on me too much!**


	19. Chapter 19 Encounter

**A/N: Hello again! I bet everyone was disappointed that the last chapter was so short. Fortunately, this one is much longer. There was a lot to get out. When last we left, Jasper had called Edward and Bella telling them that Alice had collapsed. Now, we get to see exactly what happened.**

**Once again, thank you to my beautiful betas, torisurfer girl and starpower31. I couldn't do any of this without you two…thank you!**

**Read on, my friends!**

Chapter 19 – Encounter

"Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. "

David Ogden Stiers

EPOV

Bella and I were on auto pilot as we got dressed and headed for the hospital. Jasper's phone call had terrified me so much that I couldn't even share all of it with Bella. He had told me that Alice had collapsed several hours earlier, but he hadn't called an ambulance until he'd realized that she wasn't going to wake up. I had never heard Jasper this scared before, and that was really what had me terrified. He had said that the EMTs had tried using smelling salts on her, and when that hadn't worked, they carted her off to the hospital.

Knowing that Bella was deathly scared of anything happening to Alice, I was reluctant to tell her all of what Jasper had said. However, by the time we reached the hospital she had pulled all of it out of me. Bella was visibly shaking as we walked into the Emergency Room. She spotted Jasper before I did; he was pacing in the waiting room, looking white as a ghost.

Walking up to Jasper, I put my hand on his arm, stopping his pacing. "How is she? Have you heard anything?" I asked, hoping he had a better answer than he had earlier.

"No, nothing. I told them that she was having my baby, but since we aren't married, they aren't telling me anything. They said that they need her next of kin or some shit," Jasper said, raking his hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.

Bella disconnected her hand from mine and walked up to Jasper. "That's me. I'm her next of kin."

Jasper's eyes shot to mine, before we both looked at Bella. "What?" I asked, shaking my head.

"There's a lot about Alice that you don't know, but I'm her next of kin, her power of attorney, all that jazz. Let me see if they'll tell me what's going on." Bella walked away from us and toward the nurse's station. She chatted with the nurse for a few moments, before returning to where Jasper and I were. "She said that the doctor will be out shortly."

Jasper continued to pace, while Bella and I opted to sit on the couch in the corner. I reached for her hand, lacing it with my own. "Bella, don't worry, I'm sure that Alice will be just fine."

Bella shook her head. "What if I lose her? Edward, I can't lose her! She's the only family I have!"

I leaned in, kissing her forehead, before resting mine against it. "I love you. I'm here for you no matter what. But I'm sure Alice will be fine."

A young man with scrubs walked into the waiting room, disturbing Jasper's pacing. All three of us walked up to greet him. He introduced himself as Dr. Grayson, the attending physician working on Alice. His was very youthful looking, silently shifting from side to side, but I noticed as we got closer to him that he wasn't quite as young as I had thought. With curly red hair and dimples, anyone would look young. However, his eyes made it clear; he was perhaps in his mid-30s.

"I'm Alice Brandon's next of kin and her power of attorney. Can you please tell us what's going on?" Bella said authoritatively, still holding my hand.

"Yes, of course, Miss…?" Dr. Grayson started.

"Swan. Bella Swan."

"Miss Swan, Miss Brandon is severely dehydrated and malnourished. She doesn't appear to have eaten much for days. Her stomach was completely empty when she came in. Her blood pressure was low, not dangerous, but too low. We have done a sonogram on the fetus, and it appears to be doing quite well, so that's the good news. The heart rate is good, and it's moving and kicking, so we don't believe there is an immediate threat.

"However, the immediate threat is to Miss Brandon. We are rehydrating her as we speak, and we gave her one bag of blood to be safe. She will also need to stay in the hospital for observation overnight; we don't want any complications to arise. But, she needs to begin eating better. Proteins, carbohydrates, calories, fat, anything you can get into her. She also needs to drink more water, or at least something hydrating."

Bella, Jasper and I absorbed what the doctor was telling us. Alice wasn't eating or drinking enough to keep herself alive. I exchanged a quick look with Bella before she turned her eyes back to the doctor.

"You said that her stomach was completely empty when she came in…did you have to run tests on her or something?" Bella asked the doctor.

"No," Dr. Grayson stated, pulling up a chair and sitting down. The man looked exhausted. "She woke up a while after getting to the hospital. She was dry heaving when I got to her room. The nurses tell me she never threw anything up. I have prescribed her Zofram to help with her nausea."

I nodded, knowing that Bella had the same stuff and it had helped her eat dinner, and keep it down. Bella asked the doctor a few more questions about how to help Alice after she got out of the hospital, that sort of thing. Dr. Grayson advised that Alice should be much better after they hydrated her, and after she got on the medication.

"Once she starts eating and drinking, then she should be feeling much better." Dr. Grayson stood up, shook hands with Jasper and I, and then turned to Bella. "Just try to make sure she is eating and drinking. She seems very stubborn and doesn't like medication much, apparently."

Bella nodded, and the doctor walked away. Winding my arms around her, I hugged her tight to me, ignoring Jasper's wide eyes. I knew that he wasn't quite ready to see Bella and me cuddling, but I knew that she needed me.

"Edward, Jasper, thank God! What is going on? You scared the hell out of me!" My head jerked sideways, toward the voice of my mother, who had just walked in the same door the doctor had left through. My father was close behind her.

"Mom, it's OK, Edward and I are fine. It's my girlfriend, she collapsed earlier and it scared the hell out of _me_." Jasper said, walking over to Esme and Carlisle Cullen, standing just a few feet away from us.

"Excuse me?" Bella said, glaring as Jasper. "Your _girlfriend?"_

Jasper glared back at Bella, but chose to ignore her, continuing to talk to our parents. "I didn't want to tell you this way, but she's pregnant. My girlfriend, Alice."

Our mother looked from me to Jasper and back again. Her gaze settled on me, questioning and confused. I nodded slightly, pulling Bella closer to me. Her posture was rigid, I could tell that she was still upset about what Jasper had said.

"So, the first we hear of your girlfriend is that she is pregnant?" Carlisle demanded, taking a step closer to Jasper.

"Yeah, well, Edward got his girlfriend pregnant, too!" Jasper pouted, sounded like a child.

Rolling my eyes, I looked at my parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Bella. I believe I told you about her?"

Esme came closer and threw her arms around Bella, effectively pushing me out of the way. I couldn't see Bella's face, but I wondered how she was handling my mother hugging her.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you, Bella!" Esme gushed, her arms still tight around Bella. "Anyone who can make my son smile the way you have, is OK by me. Welcome to the family."

"Mom…" I warned. I didn't want her scaring Bella with those words.

"Oh, Edward, stop, she's the mother of my grandchild. Whether you two get married or not, she will always be family now." Esme released Bella and looked at her. "I'm so happy for you two."

"Thank you, Mrs. Cullen," Bella said with a shaky voice. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"Oh, please, none of that. Call me Esme. Carlisle, come meet Bella," she called to Carlisle, who walked closer to Bella, sticking out his hand. Bella took it hesitantly, shook it slightly and then dropped it just as fast.

"Well, Bella, it's good to meet you."

"Thank you, it's good to meet you too."

Esme then turned to Jasper. "So, this Alice is your girlfriend, huh? Edward, you didn't say anything about this to me."

"No, I didn't, Mom. Jasper?" I was not going to get in the middle of this, so I decided to push it all on Jasper. He had gotten himself in this mess with Alice, and he could get himself out.

Just as Jasper was opening his mouth, a nurse came through the doors, signaling to Bella.

"You can go see her now, honey. She's awake." The nurse motioned for Bella to follow him. Bella looked at me, and I smiled, walking through the door with her.

APOV

The bright lights were making my head throb, and there was a shaking that I couldn't identify. In the faint background, I could hear people talking, but no matter how hard I concentrated, I couldn't identify what they were saying. I felt a prick in my arm, which made me jolt back to reality. I opened my eyes to see lights swirling around me. There were people all around me, some looked like nurses, others were EMTs.

A brown haired nurse noticed that my eyes were now open, and reached her hand out to mine. The EMTs were already walking toward the door as she spoke to me, "It's OK, Miss Brandon, you are at the hospital. We are taking you to your room shortly, and a doctor will be by to see you. Do you remember what happened?"

Licking my lips, I tried to find my voice. "I think I fainted."

The nurse nodded, smiling down at me. "Yes, and your boyfriend called 9-1-1. He's out in the lobby right now. You've been here for almost an hour. We were getting worried that you weren't going to wake up."

I glanced down at my body, laying on a hospital bed. I had one IV in my left hand, pumping a clear liquid into my veins. My right arm had an IV as well, pumping a red liquid. Feeling sick to my stomach, I looked back at the nurse.

"Is that blood?" I asked, terrified to hear her answer.

"Yes, it is. You were so dehydrated and malnourished, that we had to give you some more blood. Just one pack, though, so that will be stopping shortly. The other IV is hydrating you. That will probably stay in all night."

Feeling the bile creep up my throat, I said, "I think I'm going to be sick."

Without wasting a second, the nurse grabbed a plastic bin and shoved it under my chin. I sat up a little and started heaving into the bin. Nothing came out, probably because I hadn't eaten my dinner, but that didn't stop my stomach from lurching.

This continued for some time, and the nurse was nice enough to stay with me. Right as I was heaving for the last time, the doctor walked in.

"Alice Brandon?" He questioned, with a smile.

"Yes," I choked out, my throat still burning.

"My name is Robert Grayson, I'm going to be your doctor. I'm glad to see you awake, you gave us a scare when you first got here. Did Sheila explain what we were doing?"

"You mean with the IVs?" I questioned. When he nodded, I continued, "Yes, I understand."

"Good. So, let's chat for a few minutes. You have a very anxious boyfriend out there waiting to see you."

I shook my head, making my stomach lurch again. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Oh, OK, well, there's a man in the lobby who came in with you. I apologize, I just assumed. Anyway," the doctor continued, looking slightly embarrassed. "You fainted because you are malnourished and dehydrated. It looks like you've had some trouble eating?"

I nodded and then my eyes snapped open. Sitting up too fast, I grabbed the doctor's arm. "Is the baby OK? Did anyone tell you that I'm pregnant?"

Dr. Grayson chuckled, and set his hand on top of mine. "Yes, your boy-uh, the man who came in with you told us that. We did a sonogram about ten minutes ago. Your fetus is just fine. The heart is beating, and the little thing is kicking like crazy."

Breathing a sigh of relief, I relaxed and lay back down on the bed. The doctor continued to lecture me—at least, that's what it sounded like to me—about eating right and drinking enough fluids. I nodded, trying to look interested. I knew all of this. It wasn't that I was trying to starve myself, I really had trouble keeping anything down.

Finally, he came to the end of his speech, indicating that he was giving me a prescription for medication.

"OK, listen, doc, I have heard everything you've said about eating right and drinking and all that. But, I won't take pills. I don't like them…I choke on them and end up throwing up anyway. I'll eat as much as I can, and drink as much as I can, but I won't take any pills!" My face was red, I was sure of that, but I had said what I needed to.

The doctor was silent for a moment. "I can give you a similar medication in a suppository if you would prefer?"

I made a face at him, and he smiled at me. "OK, Miss Brandon, I understand, but let me write the prescription anyway. They are pretty small pills, so they shouldn't be too hard for you to swallow. Just keep in mind that you need to eat more, and this pill will help you."

Because I was too tired to fight, I just nodded. The doctor told me he would be back in a couple hours to check on me, while the nurse got me ready to be moved from the ER to my room. The nurse removed the blood IV, and I was careful to look away. She explained to me that I was being admitted for the night to rehydrate me as well as for observation. As terrifying as it was to be in the hospital, I was glad that the baby was OK.

The hospital room was small and had another bed, but it was empty. So I was all alone, flipping through the channels, when a male nurse came in to change my IV bag.

"You have a visitor who would like to see you," the nurse stated, still concentrating on my IV.

"Um, is it the guy that came in with me?"

"No, your next of kin. Bella, I think?"

Sitting up, I looked at him. "Can she come in?"

He laughed, touching my hand briefly. "Of course, I'll send her right in."

I was almost jumping in bed when Bella walked through the door. She rushed over to me, hugging me tightly. Edward lurked in the doorway, seemingly unwilling to interfere. Motioning for him to come closer, I hugged him as well.

"I can't believe you are both here!" I exclaimed.

"Well, Jasper scared the crap out of us a little while ago. Of course we would come, sweetie." Bella sat on the edge of the bed, with Edward hovering behind her.

"I guess I should get used to you two always being together. It's like you are tied at the hip now." I chuckled as Bella's face turned a little pink. "So, doc tell you why I'm here?"

"Yes."

"You gonna yell at me, too?"

"No. I love you, and I don't want you hurting, but I'm not going to yell at you. At least, not today." Bella leaned in and hugged me again. "Maybe I'll yell tomorrow."

Laughing, I pushed her away slightly. "So, Jasper called you?"

Suddenly, Bella went from smiling to very serious. "Yes, and we aren't the only ones he called."

Bella and Edward exchanged a glance, but I couldn't read her well tonight. Maybe I was too tired or sick, but it almost looked like she was worried. "Who did he call?"

Edward stepped a little closer, shifting nervously in place. "He called our parents. They are in the lobby, probably yelling at Jasper."

My throat felt dry again, and my breathing became erratic. _Jasper's parents are here?_

Clearing his throat, Edward glanced at the doorway before continuing, "I think they would like to meet you."

**A/N: So, what do you think? How is Alice doing dealing with this on her own? Will meeting the parents go well?**

**Next up, we dive into meeting Esme and Carlisle a little bit more. Just keep remembering, this story is primarily Edward and Bella. Alice and Jasper are total side characters.**

**Leave me some love!**


	20. Chapter 20 Telling It Like It Is

**A/N: Welcome to another weekly installment of our favorite couple! This chapter was well received by my betas, so I know you guys will like it also! We hear from Esme a little here…Enjoy!**

**Thanks again to torisurfergirl and starpower31 (again and always) for all that they do for me!**

Chapter 20 – Telling it Like it is

"A mother who is really a mother is never free."

Honore de Balzac

BPOV

Meeting Edward's parents made me momentarily forget about Alice. Since my limited experience with men hadn't produced many meetings with parents, I wasn't really sure how to react. When Esme threw her arms around me and wouldn't let go, I was really terrified. That feeling turned into shock when she congratulated me. I'm not really sure what I was expecting from her, but that definitely wasn't it.

Finally, she disconnected with me and I met Edward's father. Staring at them both curiously, I could see both Jasper and Edward in them. Edward was his father's height, but looked just like his mother with the reddish brown hair and green eyes. Jasper was the exact opposite. He was a little shorter than Edward, closer to his mother's height, but looked just like his dad with the blond hair and blue eyes.

Esme struck me as a very sweet, loving woman. I only saw her briefly but in those few moments, she looked to be the embodiment of what I always thought a mother should be. For the first time since I had met Edward, I could actually envision my future with him. His whole familial experience seemed vastly different from my own, and I was very interested to see if I could integrate into his family. The most shocking part of all of that was that I actually _wanted_ to. That realization hit me hard, and I reeled from it for a moment before the nurse came to tell me I could see Alice.

Seeing her made my fears ebb a little bit. Hugging her and making sure she was OK, made me feel much better. She was almost back to her normal self, but to me she still looked very pale. Of course, her color got much worse when Edward told her that his parents were there. Knowing exactly how she felt, since I had felt the same way earlier, I just smiled at her reassuringly.

"Ali, they are really nice. You're carrying their grandchild…give them a chance to meet you, at least. OK?" I whispered, trying to sooth her. She still looked scared, but nodded.

Glancing at Edward, I nodded slightly. He disappeared through the door, just as Alice started to shake.

"One more thing that I have to prepare you for—Jasper told his parents that you were his girlfriend." I braced myself for her reaction.

"Oh, yeah, I'm not surprised. All the hospital staff seems to think he's my boyfriend, so I assumed he had said something about that." Alice looked up at me, meeting my eyes. "B, I don't know if I can do this. This is a horrible way to meet his parents!"

"Just talk to them for a minute, and then act tired. I'm sure, with everything that you've gone through, they would understand you not wanting to chat for too long."

Before Alice could respond, Edward and Jasper walked through the door, their mother and father in tow behind them. I saw Jasper stop and linger at the entrance to the room, probably not willing to come too close. Esme walked right past Jasper and up to Alice, a soft smile on her face. Carlisle came up behind her, but didn't hover too close.

"Alice?" Esme questioned, taking her hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Esme Cullen, the mother of these two snots."

Alice actually smiled a little, shaking Esme's hand. "Hi, Mrs. Cullen. It's nice to meet you, also."

"Please, call me Esme. I understand from Jasper that you two are an item, and that you are pregnant just like Bella?"

The smile quickly faded away, to be replaced by an angry glare directed toward Jasper. "Well, you are right about one thing anyway. I am pregnant. And, the baby is Jasper's, by the way, in case he forgot to mention that. But, he and I are _not_ an item."

Esme frowned slightly, looking at Jasper too. "I thought as much. Jasper, get your ass over here and explain this to me. Now."

Edward and I exchanged an amused look, before glancing at Jasper. He was walking toward Alice and Esme with his proverbial tail tucked between his legs. _Maybe Jasper will finally get what's coming to him._

Slowly, Jasper told Esme what had happened on New Year's Eve—being very careful to make sure he left out anything that made him look bad—followed by a very similar story about how Alice had found out she was pregnant. Esme listened without saying anything.

"So, I just assumed that Alice and I were a couple because we should be. We are having a baby together, and I thought we should have a good relationship."

Alice's eyes were flashing by the time Jasper was finished. "I'm very sorry, Esme, but I can't let Jasper get away with that. He left out the part about how when I told him I was pregnant, he got very angry and called me a whore. It wasn't until after he spoke with Edward and Bella that he admitted the baby was his. Jasper and I are _not_ a couple. Never have been."

Jasper turned white, and then beet red under Esme's glare. She walked up to him, grabbing him by the arm and pulled him toward the other end of the room. Her stare could have stopped traffic; it was so terrifying. Terrifying for Jasper, but amusing for Edward and I. Edward came to stand next to me, wrapping his arms around me. Carlisle shifted uncomfortably, while we all watched Esme and Jasper.

"Jasper Carlisle Cullen, I don't care how old you are, I will take you over my knee like I did when you were a child. I don't care what a woman has 'done to you,' you have _no_ right to ever call one a whore. Especially not one carrying your baby! I don't care if you and Alice become an item, but you are damn well going to take care of her…give her anything she needs for this baby, or anything she needs. Period."

Esme turned to Alice, her gaze softening. "Alice, I don't care if it's 3am and you are craving ice cream, you call this horrible excuse for a son I have and make him get it for you." She rounded on Jasper again. "And I better not hear of you not answering your phone. She is the mother of your child and you will treat her with respect. Alice will have my phone number before we leave, with strict instructions to tell me the minute you step out of line.

"I am blessed with two sons, and now I have two daughters who are giving me grandchildren. My family is complete. I will not have your horrible behavior or attitude ruin any relationship I have with these women. You march right up to Alice and apologize for being an ass…for calling her a whore, and assure her that you will be a much better and _different_ person from here on out. It's up to you and her to decide if you are going to be in a relationship, and I honestly couldn't care less. But," she stated, stepping closer to Jasper, grabbing his shirt slightly, "you will _not_ act like this again!"

I could see a smile forming on Alice's lips, as her admiration for Esme began pouring out of her. Edward squeezed me a little tighter, and I could tell he was amused also. Carlisle busied himself with the drapes in the room, opening them up wider to reveal the glorious skyline of Reno's downtown hotels. I couldn't see his face, so I couldn't tell what he was doing. For some reason, I felt he was smiling as well.

Jasper walked toward Alice, and reached for her hand. "I'm sorry, Alice."

"It's OK, Jasper."

"It damn well isn't OK, but it's a good start. Alice, honey, let me give you my cell number. Call me anytime you need this jerk put back in line." Esme walked up to Alice, handing her the purse that was sitting on the bedside table.

After an exchange of numbers, the conversation grew much less heated. Esme sat in the chair next to Alice's bed, chatting about the baby. It was obvious to anyone paying attention that Esme was thrilled she was going to have grandchildren. She spoke of dual baby showers, things she always wanted to buy for a baby girl—if she happened to have one from either of us—and toys she had left over from when Edward and Jasper were babies.

All too soon, the male nurse came back in, stating that it was really late and Alice needed to get some rest. He informed us that Alice would be released tomorrow morning, as long as all her vitals were good, and that we could come back no earlier than 8am.

We all hugged Alice, wished her well, and began walking toward the door, when Esme turned on Jasper again. "And just where do you think you are going?"

"Um, home. I'm tired," Jasper whined.

"I don't think so. Did you not hear what I told you? Anything she needs. You get to stay here and make sure that she's good. Plus, she will need a ride home tomorrow morning, and you're going to give it to her." Esme planted her hands on her hips, daring Jasper to argue.

Alice, however, spoke first, "Oh, Esme, that's really not necessary. I'm sure that I'll be fine tonight, and I can find a ride home tomorrow on my own."

"Alice, dear, you are part of our family now, and Jasper has an obligation to stay here and make sure you are OK. If you flat refuse to have him stay, I won't argue, but he owes you this much at least."

Smirking up at Esme, Alice nodded in defeat. "OK, he can stay as long as he behaves." She shot a quick glance at me, still smiling.

"Oh, he'll behave, all right," Esme said, still glaring at Jasper. "Won't you?"

"Yes, Mom," Jasper said, sighing and sitting down on the empty bed.

Edward, Esme, Carlisle and I walked out of the room, after saying our final goodbyes to Alice. We said goodnight to Edward's parents as we got to the parking garage next to the hospital. Esme made me promise that I would come over for dinner soon, and I readily agreed. I may not have known her too well yet, but she obviously had a kind heart.

I made it almost to the car before I burst out laughing. Edward hugged me tight, and I could feel his chest bouncing in laughter as well.

"What did I tell you about my mother? Isn't she awesome?" he breathed into my hair.

"She's amazing, Edward. I can see where you get your loving nature." Reaching up, I kissed him swiftly before disconnecting his arms from around me. "I'm exhausted, let's get home."

"Hmm, home. You know, beautiful," Edward began, grabbing my hand and steering me toward his car. "You keep saying that. It's your home…I am just a frequent visitor."

I studied him for a minute. He had a twinkle in his eye, so I knew that he wasn't upset. For about a week, I had been contemplating asking him to move in, but I had never even seen his place. Maybe it was better, I didn't know. "You know, that's a very good point. Do you want to?"

"Do I want to what?"

"Do you want to be able to call it home?" I held my breath, waiting for his answer.

Instead of responding right away, Edward pulled me into his arms and kissed me fast and furiously. My whole body began to melt into his by the time he pulled away. "I love you so much. I would love to live with you…but do you think it's too soon?"

Making sure to formulate my thoughts before just blurting them out, I paused for a second. "Edward, I can't say the words 'I love you' yet, but I know how I feel about you. You excite me more than anyone ever has…you treat me with respect. You take care of me when no one else would. I want you with me…never too far away from me. The thought of you going to your own place is heartbreaking sometimes. I know it's soon, but that's how everything seems to be with our relationship."

I paused, letting all of that sink in, before I continued, "Please move in with me? Or, we can move into your place if you prefer."

Edward leaned his forehead against mine, and squeezed me a little tighter. "I want to live with you…in your place. It holds way too many memories for me to walk away from it now."

He put his hand on my chin, lifting my head so I was looking at him in the eyes. "Are you sure, love?"

"I'm sure. Let's do it," I whispered, bringing his lips to mine again.

_This will be a good thing. I'm sure of it…so why am I still scared to death?_

**A/N: So, why do you think Bella is scared? Her commitment phobic moments coming back? Leave me some love and I'll try to post the next chapter before next Friday!**


	21. Chapter 21 A Start

**A/N: So, we heard a little from Esme in the last chapter…isn't she fabulous?! I LOVED writing her. Anyway, we switch gears a little in this chapter, and I am very curious about what you guys will think of this. My Jasper is a bit of an enigma, but…well…you'll see. **

**Thanks again to torisurfergirl and starpower31 for all of their help. They make my words pretty, and really, I couldn't do this without them.**

**Read on, my friends.**

Chapter 21 – A Start

"A relationship is like a mountain: it starts off with nothing then gradually increases until it reaches the peak. Life is good up there. But then things start to go downhill. Until there is nothing. It is up to you to climb back up."

Unknown

APOV

Last night had been the longest night of my life. Not only did Jasper snore—when he was asleep—but he also kept so quiet when he was awake that he made me very uncomfortable. He barely said two words to me the entire night. Outwardly, I tried to appear as if it was totally fine with me, but given the situation we were in, it would have been nice if he at least tried talking to me.

I had enjoyed Esme yelling at him the night before, though. She seemed like a wonderful person and was probably embarrassed a little by Jasper's behavior. If he were my son, I would have been. But, boy did she tell him. Watching her made me wish that my child would end up as strong as her. I was too weak for my own good most of the time, but Esme had some balls—metaphorically, of course.

The hospital released me around ten in the morning, and Jasper drove me home. He dropped me off out front and sped off the second I was out of the car. I shook my head and walked into my apartment.

The rest of the weekend passed by quickly. Esme called a couple times to check on me and so did Bella. She always asked if I had eaten. Begrudgingly, I took the pills the doctor had prescribed. And I did notice a difference. I was able to eat better, and it didn't come back up. I admitted to Bella that I was eating and that the pills had helped. She laughed, telling me that I should go and thank that doctor for giving them to me. Especially considering that I had fought him so hard on taking them.

Bella and Edward were doing pretty great. Apparently, they were discussing moving in together. While I was extremely happy for my best friend, I still felt a sadness enveloping me. I was completely alone. Esme would have been upset at that statement, but my relationship with her was very new. No matter how nice she was, I couldn't quite count her as someone who would be here for me no matter what.

Sunday evening was very low key for me. I ate my cheap TV dinner, watched a stupid movie that I streamed from Netflix, and cleaned up my apartment. I had just finished packing my boxes when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Um, hi, Alice." It was Jasper.

"Hi, Jasper. What can I do for you?" I sat down on the couch, trying to stay calm. This was the first I had heard from him since he had dropped me off yesterday. _What could he possibly have to say?_

"Uh, I just wanted to call to see how you were doing?"

"Oh, um, I'm doing OK."

"Did you eat anything today?"

"Yes, I took the pills the doctor gave me, and I've been able to keep down all my food." This conversation was really out of character for Jasper. Maybe his mother's talk really did get to him.

"Are you busy right now?" he asked.

"I was just packing. Why?"

"I wanted to take you out, if that's OK."

_Um…what?_ "Uh, sure, I guess. I've already eaten, so what did you have in mind?"

"I wanted to take you grocery shopping. Make sure that you have lots of food to eat."

_OK, his mother definitely had something to do with this._ "Jasper, that's really not necessary. I can get my own food."

"Alice, I want to make sure that both you and…our baby are healthy. Please let me take you grocery shopping." He almost sounded like he was pleading with me.

Sighing in defeat, I agreed. He told me that he would be over in about half an hour, so I ran to my room to change. I looked at myself in the mirror. There were slight bags under my eyes; my hair was sticking out a little more than normal and my lips still looked cracked. I quickly wet my hair, throwing some moose on. There wasn't much I could do about the bags under my eyes, but I put some lip gloss on, hoping it would hide the cracks in my lips.

True to his word, Jasper knocked on my door almost exactly half an hour later. We didn't say very much on the way to his car, but he was polite at least. He drove us to Wal-Mart, starting in the home and beauty section.

"Pick out anything you want or need. Shampoo? Conditioner? Make-up?" Jasper offered, grabbing a cart.

"Oh, that's OK."

"Alice…" His voice was warning.

"Oh, all right," I conceded.

We walked down every aisle. He persuaded me to get soap, shampoo, fingernail polish and a new DVD. The cart was half full by the time we got to the food. Once again, we walked down every aisle. He didn't let me cheap out on anything, getting name brand food of all kinds.

By the time we left—$250.00 later—we had more than filled the cart. He helped bring everything into my apartment, and then proceeded to help me put it all away. I was able to get all the foods that I loved, the gourmet items that I couldn't afford myself anymore, and I was really happy.

"Jasper, I just wanted to say thank you for all of this. I really do appreciate it."

"Well, you're welcome," Jasper said, looking a little uncomfortable. "Please tell me when you need to go back. From now on, I will take care of your grocery budget. OK?"

I was in shock by his statement. There was no way I could let him do this… "Um, Jasper, I can't let you do that."

"You said that earlier, also. Alice, I want to. Please let me help. Also, I would like to have dinner with you on Tuesday night. Is that OK with you?"

Unable to figure out what else to say, I nodded. We had just finished putting away all the groceries, and I was walking Jasper to the door when he leaned in and hugged me. I was so shocked that I didn't respond right away. Eventually, the shock wore down and I put my arms around him also. It wasn't long before he released me.

"Goodnight, Alice."

"Goodnight, Jasper."

EPOV

Waking up next to Bella was always amazing, but when she woke me up with her mouth on my cock, I was in heaven. I woke up with her warm, wet mouth moving up and down. It didn't take me very long before I was exploding into her mouth.

"Love, that was amazing. We must be feeling better today?" I whispered, pulling her up to rest on my chest.

"Yes, much better. I actually slept last night, and I feel like I have much more energy. According to the app I downloaded, I'm 14 weeks today. Officially starting my second trimester. More energy!"

Chuckling, I kissed her softly. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Would you like breakfast? I'm starving!" Bella said, shuffling off the bed and grabbing her robe.

"Really? You want breakfast?" I started getting up, grabbing my own robe from the chair next to the bed. We both started walking toward the kitchen. I was surprised because Bella didn't normally eat much in the morning. She was usually so sick.

"Oh, yes, eggs, bacon strips and toast."

"Bacon? You? Really?"

"Well, I got these veggie bacon strips made out of tofu that I want to try. You know I don't eat meat," Bella explained, pulling a box out of the freezer.

"OK, let's try it," I said, sitting down at the kitchen table.

She turned to me, raising her eyebrows. "You want some, too?"

"Of course. I want to try everything you do. I can't promise that I'll like it, but I will try anything once."

"Wow." Bella came over and sat on my lap, kissing my cheek. "You are too good to me."

"Who was it that woke who up this morning?" I teased, tweaking her nose with my finger. Bella blushed, which was quickly turning into my favorite color.

She gave me another quick kiss, and then started making our breakfast. She microwaved the bacon strips, which smelled pretty good considering what they were. Bella placed a plate of eggs, bacon strips and toast with butter in front of me, and I dug in.

Bella sat down across from me and smiled slightly before turning to her own breakfast. "Oh, these bacon strips are good!" she exclaimed.

Admittedly, the smell was good, but I wasn't too sure. I tried them, just like I said I would. The taste was OK, but the texture was totally different from bacon. It was just…wrong. I explained to Bella that it wasn't the best flavor for me, and she agreed to make me bacon the next day. Hoping she wasn't mad, I made sure to compliment the rest of the breakfast.

After breakfast, a quickie in the shower, and dressing quickly, we separated at the parking lot. I kissed her softly, wishing her a good day before making my way to the car.

Work was filled with long meetings, angry customers and annoying co-workers. I have to admit that I was more than a little frustrated by the time I got to Bella's that night. It was later than I originally told Bella that I would be home. Knowing that I should have called her, I felt a little guilty as I opened the apartment door.

The apartment was dark, which surprised me. Bella should have been home over an hour ago. I walked through the apartment, looking around and finally saw Bella huddled under the blankets in her bed. She was so quiet that I thought she was asleep. I set my bag down and crawled in bed, sliding my arm around her.

"You're late," she whispered, sounding a little choked up.

"I'm sorry, love, the day got away from me. I should have called you."

Bella was silent. I got up, sliding around the bed so I could face her. In the dark, I could see that her eyes were puffy. She had obviously been crying.

"What's wrong, love?"

"You were supposed to be home a while ago, I called and you didn't answer. I got worried." Her voice was very quiet. I leaned in and kissed her forehead, not understanding why she was so upset.

"I'm sorry, I know that I should have called. What were you worried about, love?"

Again, she was silent. This was completely foreign to me, and I didn't know exactly what to say. "Bella, what should I do?"

"Nothing. I'm tired, I think I'm just going to sleep."

"Want me to make you some dinner?"

"No. I'm not hungry. I ate when I got home."

"OK, love, I'll let you rest. Please let me know if you need anything. And, again, I'm really sorry." I stood up and walked out of the room, silently closing the door.

I stayed just outside of the door for a minute, wondering what I should do. Walking into the kitchen, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed my mother. Maybe she would know.

"Hello, Edward, how are you?" Esme answered.

"Hey, Mom, I need your advice."

"OK, shoot."

"I got home a little late, well more than a little…I was over an hour late. I didn't call, and Bella is upset. She's in her room, crying, but she won't tell me what's wrong. She just said that she was worried." I shifted the phone to my other ear, while pulling out some leftover lasagna from the fridge.

"Did she try calling or texting you?"

"Yes, I didn't answer because I was on the phone with a client. By the time I was off the phone, I forgot that she had called. I was so tired, I just grabbed my stuff and came home."

"Edward, Bella is pregnant. Her hormones are going crazy, and your relationship is still fairly new. She was probably scared you were in an accident, or cheating on her or something. Pregnant women tend to overthink things and create situations in their head."

She paused for a moment. I didn't say anything…I was still waiting for her to tell me what to do.

"Go to her, comfort her, tell her how much you love her and how sorry you are. Make her listen. Her brain is telling her not to listen to you."

"Are you serious? How do I do that?"

"Just do your best, Edward. Show her that she is the only one. Go now, don't wait too long or she'll create more ideas."

"OK, thanks, Mom."

"Anytime, sweetie. Let me know if I can help," Esme said, hanging up the phone.

Abandoning the lasagna in the microwave, I set my phone down in the kitchen and went back to Bella's room. She hadn't moved from her original position. I took my shirt off, leaving my undershirt on. My shoes went next, and then I slid into bed, tugging her close to me. She didn't resist me, but she didn't move on her own either.

Kissing the back of her neck, I tightened my grip on her. "Baby, I'm so sorry that I'm late. My day was horrible, and the highlight of my day is being able to come home to you," I whispered into her ear. "I love you, beautiful."

"I was really worried," she whispered back.

"I'm so sorry, baby, what can I do?" _Seriously, she gets this upset over me being a little late? Jeez, the hormones really must be out of control._

"Nothing."

I kissed her neck again, breathing in the intoxicating smell of Bella. Being this close to her was making my cock spring to life. Nestling her closer to me, I pressed myself into her. I still didn't understand what had her so upset, or how to pull her out of it.

Before I could register her moving, she had sprung up and out of the bed. "Stop that!" She practically yelled. "I'm not going to sit and wait here like some moron, only to be treated like your resident whore when you do get home!"

To say I was completely shocked by her words would be a vast understatement. Getting up slowly, I was careful to keep a safe distance from her. There were tears streaming down her face and she looked pretty angry.

I held my hands in front of me, gesturing defeat, and took a tentative step toward her. "Bella, I know that I made you worry, and I am truly sorry about that. I promise I won't do that again. I love you." _Seriously, what else can I say? How do I make her calm down and listen to me?_

"Edward, we haven't been together that long. How do I know that you don't have some hot chick on the side. One who isn't getting fat?"

Suppressing the desire to roll my eyes, I took another small step toward her. "Bella, you are the only woman I want. You are everything to me…and have been since I met you. And," I added, hoping to defuse the situation a little more, "you are _not_ getting fat."

"Aren't I? My bras don't fit me anymore, and my jeans wouldn't button tonight. I am getting fatter!" she exclaimed, sitting down on the bed with a huff.

"You aren't getting fatter…you're getting babier. And I'm totally OK with your boobs getting bigger, although they were always perfect before."

To my astonishment, Bella actually cracked a smile. Taking that as a good sign, I sat down on the bed next to her, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "Are you OK now?"

"Yeah, I guess I freaked out a little bit, huh?"

"It's perfectly normal to do that now and then. But try to remember that—I'm here because I want to be, and I wouldn't dream of going anywhere else." I slowly kissed her hand, hoping she would believe me. There really wasn't much more I could say.

"OK, I'll try. I'm sorry I freaked out."

"It's all right, beautiful. Now, I'm starving. Want to come into the kitchen with me while I eat that perfect lasagna that you made the other night?"

She smiled, standing up and holding out her other hand to me. "Sure, let's go eat."

**A/N: OK, so, honest feedback…what do you think of Jasper? Confused? The answers are coming…also, anyone who has been pregnant should understand Bella in this chapter. Hormones raging…**

**Still, I love hearing from you guys. Let me know what you think!**


	22. Chapter 22 A Mother of a Time

**A/N: I just love hearing from everyone! PMs and reviews alike! And, because I love you all so much, I've decided to give you a treat for the weekend. If I get reviews, I'll post the next chapter next Wednesday instead of Friday.**

**Thanks to my FABULOUS betas, torisurfergirl and starpower31.**

**Read on!**

Chapter 22 – A Mother of a Time

"Mothers are all slightly insane."

J. D. Salinger

_One Month Later_

BPOV

It was almost May, so the weather was starting to warm up. I was sitting at a picnic table outside my office building, basking in the sunlight while Alice and I ate our lunch.

"How's it going with Edward?" Alice asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

I smiled, looking down at the lunch he had packed me that morning. "Great. He's being really attentive lately. He does the cutest thing, did I tell you? Since I'm so tired by the time I get home, he's been reading the baby books to me. That way, we bot get the information and I can rest my eyes."

Alice laughed, "Jasper hasn't gotten quite that nice to me yet, but he still takes me out grocery shopping every weekend. Oh, but he is starting to remember the foods that make me sick. Like, last night we were watching a movie and he didn't ask for popcorn!"

Joining in the laughter, I set my fork down on the table. The enchilada could wait. "You know, since all this baby stuff started, I feel like we never see each other anymore. We need to make more time for each other."

Alice rolled her eyes at me. "B, we see each other every day at work."

"Yeah, I know, but we only have one or two days a week that we eat lunch together. The boys are taking up too much of our time."

"That's true. Between Edward coming and spending lunch hours with you and Jasper insisting on taking me out to eat for lunch, we don't have a lot of time to talk I guess." Alice popped a carrot into her mouth, crunching loudly.

"I know…I almost forgot how much of a loud chewer you are." I laughed as she threw one of her carrots at me. Absentmindedly, I rubbed my belly. It was getting bigger and, being almost 19 weeks, I was to the point where people were noticing that I was pregnant. Alice was a little smaller than me, but she had always been smaller. "Did I tell you that we made our sonogram appointment? It's in two weeks."

"Awesome! Mine is in three weeks. I am really hoping to find out the sex of the baby. Jasper is convinced that it's a boy." Alice rolled her eyes again. "He has a name picked out and everything."

"Seriously? What is it?"

She snickered, taking another bite of carrot. "Dugan."

Choking on my water, I said, "Are you kidding? Dugan Cullen?"

Alice put her carrots down, blushing a little. "I was thinking about having the baby's last name be Brandon. Is that bad?"

"No! You guys aren't married, after all. Have you talked to him about it?"

Alice shook her head. "No. He's been so nice lately, buying me maternity clothes and helping me move. I'm kind of afraid to bring it up."

"You should. He may not have a problem with it. And if he does, suggest hyphenating. You know, Dugan Brandon-Cullen."

"Please don't call my baby Dugan. Ugh!" She looked up at me, smirking. Then, pointing her sandwich at me, she asked, "How did your doctor's appointment go last week? I keep forgetting to ask."

"Good. The fibroid is still the same size, so the doctor isn't worried about it any longer," I answered. Edward and I had many talks over the last month about the possibilities that could result from the fibroid. After the doctor appointment, we were appeased a little. If the doctor wasn't worried, we wouldn't be either.

The ringing of my phone startled me back to reality. Glancing at the caller ID, I shuddered and handed my phone to Alice.

"Why is Renee calling you? It's been months since she's called," Alice said, handing the phone back to me.

"What should I do? Should I answer it?"

"Um, I can't really tell you what to do, but I think you should take this opportunity to tell her about the baby. Maybe she will be happy to know that she's going to be a grandmother? Esme certainly was." Alice giggled at the comparison. _As if Esme and Renee were similar people at all._

"I'm just not sure if I want to deal with that, or her, right now," I sighed and set the phone down on the table. For some reason, I didn't take my eyes off the phone until the call went into voice mail.

"B?"

"Yeah?"

"Call her back. I know that you and Renee don't have a relationship, but honestly, I think you should tell her about you and Edward, and about the baby."

"You think so?" My stomach instantly started hurting.

"Yes, I do. Maybe she will surprise you?"

Grumbling, I picked up my phone and hit the redial option on the missed call. I could feel my heartbeat pick up while I heard the phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Renee. I saw that you called…what do you want?"

Renee huffed a little into the phone, probably at my immediate attitude. "Well, Isabella, I just wanted to tell you that you missed a very beautiful wedding. I'd mail you pictures if I knew where you lived. I have a special album that I requested just for you, so I hope that you will stop all this bullshit and give me your address finally."

Well, Renee never was one to beat around the bush. Sighing, I gave her my address. She chatted for a few more minutes, explaining about the cake, the flowers and my stepfather. "His name is Phil, and he's amazing! He's a gym coach at Fork's High, so everyone just loves him."

I kept eating my enchilada and tried to ignore what she was saying. I would throw in an 'uh-huh' now and then so she thought I was paying attention.

"Isabella?" Mom questioned, her voice rising a little. "Did I lose you?"

"No, I'm here, Mom."

"I asked you a question. What's new with you?"

And there it was. The semi-invitation that I was hoping and dreading at the same time. Should I tell her about the baby? About Edward? Or was I just asking for more stress in my life?

Bracing myself, I decided to go for it. She would know eventually, so I figured that I might as well tell her now. "Well, I guess I do have some pretty big news. I'm pregnant."

Alice shot me a worried look, glancing at the phone. Renee was silent for a moment. When she did speak, I definitely was not prepared for what she had to say.

"When the hell did you get married? You never tell me anything!" She cried.

"Renee, I'm not married."

"Isabella, please don't tell me that you are trying to give me a bastard grandchild."

That was about as far as my temper could take it apparently, because I snapped. "You know what? No, I'm not. I'm not giving you anything. You have no rights to me or my baby. I am tired of this bullshit with you. I'm done. I don't want to ever hear from you again. And don't bother with the pictures. Honestly, I couldn't give a shit that you're married."

Renee cut me off, her voice raising a few notches, "Isabella Marie Swan, I can't believe this! You just casually tell me that you are pregnant out of wedlock? Do you even know the father?"

My anger got the better of me, and I hung up the phone. I quickly made it so that my mother's calls went straight to voicemail. My phone beeped shortly after that, indicating a voicemail. Ignoring it, I turned back to Alice.

"I heard. B, I'm so sorry for suggesting that you talk to her! I should have known that Renee couldn't handle anything like this," Alice said, looking extremely sorry.

"It's OK," I sighed, taking another bite of my food. "I knew she'd be like that."

After that, lunch was very quiet. I sat reflecting on what my mother had said, and the more I thought about it, the more depressed I got. For some reason, even after all these years, my mother could still affect me with just her words.

The afternoon dragged on and seemed like it would never end. Eventually, though, it was time to go home. I practically ran out the door, waving to Alice, and sped home. Edward's car was already in the parking lot, something I was expecting. He had been going in earlier so that he could beat me home each day. He never told me why, but I think he enjoyed being able to greet me as soon as I walked in the door.

Sure enough, as soon as I walked into the apartment, Edward was pulling me into his arms. He kissed me, and then leaned down and kissed my stomach. It was his new tradition, and I absolutely loved it. Over the course of the last almost two months, I had come to love this man. He was logical, kind, doting and extremely easy to live with. We had only had a couple of fights since he'd moved in, but on the scale of fighting, these were very low. We disagreed on something silly, and we were laughing and apologizing before it went too far.

"Welcome home, beautiful. I missed you today," Edward whispered, standing up to take me into his arms again. He led me over to the couch, where he helped my shoes off. He also took my purse and lunch bag, taking them to the kitchen. "I have some pizza rolls in the oven for dinner. Do you want a salad to go with them?

God bless that man for remembering that pizza rolls go so perfectly with salad. He really did remember everything he learned about me. "Yes, please. But before you do that, come here for a minute."

Edward walked over to me, sitting on the couch and pulling me into his arms again. "What's wrong?"

I sighed, sitting up a little straighter so that I could look into his eyes. "My mother called today."

"Oh…and, how did that go?"

"Um, well, I told her about the baby, and she totally freaked out. She yelled and told me that she was mad I hadn't told her that I was married. I told her that I wasn't married, and she yelled again, but this time it was about having a bastard grandchild."

Looking uncomfortable, Edward raised his hand to my cheek. "What did she say when you told her about me? About us living together?"

"It never got to that point. I hung up on her when she started talking about our baby as a bastard."

"Ah, OK. I'm so sorry, beautiful. I don't understand why she is like this."

"The thing you have to understand about my mother is that the world revolves around her. She doesn't think about how other people are affected by anything, only how she is." _That's certainly how she was after Dad died._

"That just doesn't seem right. Why would a mother be like that?"

"I was more of a mother to her than she was to me. My mother would forget about paying bills, doing laundry, making dinner…I did all of those things from the age of eight. I didn't want to take cold showers because she forgot to pay the gas bill, or wear dirty clothes because she didn't wash the laundry. Dad used to call me his 'little mother' because I took care of all of those things."

"Baby, that's terrible. But now you know something important."

"What's that?"

"You will be a fantastic mom. You've already done it, technically." He grinned the lopsided grin that I loved, causing me to smile with him. After kissing me on the forehead, Edward went back to the kitchen to finish making dinner.

The rest of the evening went by smoothly. No further mention of my mother was made, and we had a pleasant time. I was curled up on the couch, leaning on Edward, with his arms resting on my belly when I felt something move inside me. Edward jerked up, and so did I. We looked at each other, breaking into huge grins.

"Was that the baby kicking for the first time?" Edward asked, joy radiating from his face.

"I think so," I whispered, feeling the same as him. He grabbed me in a huge hug, and then placed his hands on my stomach again. We waited a few minutes, and then it happened again. With tears in my eyes, I looked at Edward. His eyes sparkled with happiness, and his mouth was turned in a huge smile. He leaned down and kissed me hard.

Swiftly, he reached over and turned off the TV. Then he picked me up and carried me to the bedroom. He made love to me slowly that night, cherishing me. It was so beautiful that I was almost in tears by the time we were done.

Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I heard Edward whispering soft words to me, "I love you, Bella. Thank you for giving me this gift."

If I thought that my heart could be filled anymore, I was wrong. My whole world felt complete and peaceful…and I felt fully loved for the first time in a while.

**A/N: So, what do you think? Leave me some love!**


	23. Chapter 23 Mother Knows Best

**A/N: As promised! I got reviews, and I'm posting the next chapter. I love it when I hear from you guys!**

**There is a little shift here…hopefully you guys like it. We also have a special doctor appointment for Bella and Edward.**

**Torisurfergirl and starpower31 – you two are freakin awesome and I love you two!**

**Read on!**

Chapter 23 – Mother Knows Best

"When your mother asks, "Do you want a piece of advice?" it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway."

Erma Bombeck

APOV

After the horrible encounter that Bella had had with Renee, I was feeling horrible about my involvement. If I hadn't told Bella to call her mother back…no, I couldn't think that way. Renee had always been like that. She was the most self-involved person I had ever met before. Thank goodness that Bella had had Charlie growing up. He was the sweetest and most encouraging man I had ever met…it's a wonder how Charlie and Renee had ever gotten together.

Since Jasper had begun buying all my groceries and coming over for dinner a couple times a week, he and I had been growing closer. At first, he was very quiet, only speaking when spoken to, and only one or two word answers. Lately, however, he's been more talkative, helping me chose baby names, colors to pain the baby's room and asking if he can come to my doctor's appointments. It's the last one that shocked me the most.

"What?" I sputtered, almost spitting out my soup. Jasper came over shortly after I got home from work. It was Thursday, one of our normal dinner nights. I was making vegetable beef soup when he got here. We chatted nicely until the food was ready. Then he dropped this bomb on me after I had taken my first sip.

"I said that I want to come with you to your doctor appointments," Jasper said, calmly, taking another sip of his soup. "This is really good, by the way."

"Um, you mean all of them, or just the sonogram appointment next week?"

"All of them, starting with the sonogram."

"Really?"

"Yes," Jasper said, setting his spoon down and reaching over to grab my hand. "I want to see the baby, and I want to be there for you. Will you let me come?" His eyes bored into mine, causing me to melt a little.

While I knew that a lot of what Jasper was doing was Esme's influence, I still couldn't stop the feelings that enveloped me. I hadn't been with anyone since Jasper got me pregnant, and the hormones were raging. He had been so nice to me the last month, and my brain was starting to block out the memories of him being a jerk.

Carefully placing my hand over his, I looked directly into his eyes. "Thank you, Jasper."

He looked back at me, his blue eyes darkening. Licking his lips, he opened his mouth to say something when someone knocked on the door. Jasper jumped up from the table, looking very guilty. He rushed over to the door, opening it without another glance in my direction.

Esme walked in, quickly hugging Jasper and walked over to stand next to me. "Hi, Alice. How are you feeling today?"

I locked eyes with Jasper as I got up to give Esme a hug. I was fairly sure that something had passed between us, and I wondered what would have happened if Esme hadn't stopped by. "Really good, today."

"That's great! I'm glad that you are feeling better." Esme smiled, releasing me. "Sorry to drop by unannounced, but I just wanted to check on you. Last time you came over for dinner, you were feeling really tired. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"Well, as much as I can with my belly getting bigger," I giggled. Sleeping was definitely getting uncomfortable.

"Oh, yes, I remember that. It gets a little more difficult as you get bigger. You might want to get a body pillow…those are really helpful as you get bigger." Esme sat down at the table and looked around. "I only have a few minutes, but do you need any help with anything?"

"No, Jasper has been helping me get ready for the baby, and get groceries, also."

"Good," Esme stated, glaring at Jasper. "I told him that he had better start behaving. I see that it's been working."

Jasper shifted uncomfortably, before sitting down at the table. "Mom, that's enough."

"What? She has a right to know about our conversation."

"Mom—" Jasper started, but I cut him off.

"Esme, what conversation?" I questioned. I knew that a lot of what Jasper had been doing was Esme's handy work, but I was very curious about this conversation they were talking about.

"Jasper and I sat down the afternoon after you got released from the hospital and had a frank conversation. Of course, you heard what I said to him in the hospital. I just…expanded on that a little bit." Esme shifted in her seat, so she was facing me. "Jasper was confused by the concept of being there for you, so I enlightened him. In no uncertain terms, I told him a few things that he had to do. I'm glad to see that he's gone beyond those items, though."

"Mom, that's enough!" Jasper exclaimed, standing up and walking into the living room. Esme and I stared after him; I was uncertain what to do next.

Esme, however, continued, "Always on fire with his emotions. Even as a child, he would get upset so easily. I'm not sure how that happened…that he thought everything should always go his way." She sighed, leaning back in the chair. "I suppose I should have told him more often that you can't always get your way, but he was a stubborn child. Edward was easier…quieter. He did his homework without complaint and hardly ever fought with us. Jasper fought us on everything."

I listened silently. It was nice to understand Jasper a little better. Clearly, he had the attitude of a man who believed he should always get whatever he wanted. Having witnessed that behavior first hand, this conversation was very interesting for me.

Ignoring the fact that Jasper could probably hear every word she was saying, Esme continued, "Anyway, after you were released from the hospital, Jasper came over to confront me about what I had said to him in front of everyone. Of course, being a man, he didn't like being put in his place in front of others, but I told him that he needed to cut the crap. His child, and you, dear, are more important than anything else in this world right now. And that damn well included his own pride.

"Needless to say, he wasn't very happy with me. I encouraged him to take you out, make sure you were OK on food and help get baby stuff. However, it was his choice to actually do it."

Jasper walked back into the kitchen, sitting down next to me. He was clearly angry with his mother, so he chose to sit next to me instead.

"Well, Esme, I can't tell you how wonderful he's been the last month. I owe him so much for all the help he's given me. And," I added, quickly, before Jasper could say anything, "he is going to come to my doctor appointment next week. It's the sonogram that could tell us the sex of the baby."

Esme looked delighted at this, smiling from ear to ear. After that, the conversation turned to the baby and doctor appointments. I purposely steered the conversation away from Jasper, and I could tell he was grateful. He shot me a small smile while Esme was discussing baby shopping.

Soon after, Esme left, making me promise that I would come over for dinner again soon. I saw her out, and then I slowly turned around, facing Jasper with the door pressing into my back. His eyes met mine for a brief moment before he rushed forward and pressed his lips to mine.

Fire.

There was an intense feeling that spread throughout my body when his lips pressed to mine. His lips moved over mine, while his tongue begged for entrance. Opening my own mouth, I allowed him in, which just intensified the feeling all the more. My body was immediately on fire for him.

Strong arms wound around me, carefully picking me up. I put my arms around his neck, holding him close as we continued the kiss. But, just as quickly as it had started, it ended. Jasper set me down and took two steps back.

"Alice, I'm so sorry!" he said, swearing under his breath. "I didn't mean to do that. Please don't tell my mother."

At first, I thought he was joking because that sounded like something a child would say. However, no humor was in his face. "Jasper, its fine. I've been wanting that to happen for a while."

He shook his head, taking another step back. "It's too complicated…I can't let that happen again."

Taking a step closer, I responded, "But, Jasper, if we both clearly want each other, why not? It's not like you have to worry about getting me pregnant now! Plus, you can't just kiss me like that and walk away!"

I could hear the anger in my voice, and for a split second, I was in awe that I actually spoke my mind to him. _I guess the pregnancy hormones can be thanked for that personality change_. Jasper's posture didn't change with my words, unfortunately, which meant that I hadn't gotten through to him.

"Um, I need to go. Thank you for dinner, Alice."

Sighing in defeat, I nodded, opening the door for him. I waved goodbye and closed the door behind him. Once again, as has happened a few times with Jasper, I felt the sting of rejection.

EPOV

I was more excited than I had ever been in my entire life. Bella and I were on our way to her sonogram, hoping to make sure the baby was healthy, the fibroid was still the same size and, if the baby cooperates, the gender. As we drove to the hospital, I was practically bouncing in my seat.

It had been a little over two weeks since Bella's mother had called. She had been depressed on and off. I did my best to comfort her, but she didn't respond very well.

"_Bella, I know you are upset about your mom, but you can't do anything to fix her…unless you want me to beat her up for you?" I joked, hoping to lift the mood a little bit. Bella didn't even crack a smile. "Baby, what can I do to help you?"_

"_Nothing," she said, rolling to face away from me on the bed. "She always does this to me. I'll get over it in a few days."_

_Sliding closer to her, I slipped my arm around her. "I know you're upset, beautiful, and I'm so sorry that you have to go through this…I will leave you alone in a minute, but I want you to remember just how much I love you. Even if your mother can't appreciate what she has, I do."_

All I did was cause her to tear up. After that, when she got upset, I would just tell her I love her and leave her alone. She still hadn't said it back to me, regardless of everything we have gone through. I was being patient with her, but to be honest, I was questioning her feelings for me. If she did love me, why wouldn't she tell me? I couldn't think about that now, though. The sonogram was more important.

"We want to find out the sex of the baby, right?" Bella asked, glancing out the window of the car.

"Well, I want to know. What about you?" I looked at her out of the corner of my eye.

"Um, I think I want to know. It would make it easier to decide on names and colors for the baby's room and everything. Right?"

"Yes, definitely. So, yes to finding out?" We had pulled up to the hospital, so I switched off the car and turned to face her. She looked a little nervous, as her hands were rubbing her belly.

"There is something to be said about being surprised, though…" She looked at me, looking almost fearful at my response.

"We can always wait until we get in there. Maybe seeing the baby will help make our decision? I am fine with whatever you decide. OK?" She nodded, and we both got out of the car.

The wait for the sonogram technician was only ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, we were in the little room, and Bella was on the table with her belly exposed. The technician walked through the door a minute later. She was a very tall woman, not unattractive, but had way too much makeup on. She smiled at us, and informed us that we would be starting.

After the gel was put on Bella's stomach, the woman placed the sonogram device on and immediately, we saw the baby. Struggling to control my emotions, I leaned down and kissed Bella's forehead. She peaked at me quickly, before her eyes moved back to the screen.

"Here is the head, and if you look closely right here, where it looks like bubbles coming out of the mouth? That's the thumb. Looks like your baby is sucking his thumb," the technician stated, pointing to the screen.

"His?" I questioned.

"Sorry, that's just what I always say. Do you want to know the sex of the baby?" She looked up at us. Bella glanced over at me, questioningly.

"It's up to you, beautiful," I said, kissing her on the forehead.

Bella looked uncertain for a moment, and then smiled at the technician. "Yes, please."

"OK, give me a moment," she responded, moving the sonogram device a little. "Yes, I see it now. Are you ready to find out the sex of the baby?" When both of us nodded, she said the three little words that changed my life, "It's a girl."

**A/N: So…what do you think? I'm sure Jasper is probably confusing you a bit…no worries, more is coming with him.**

**FYI – I have heard your requests for JPOV. Unfortunately, the chapters are already written and he's not a part of it. HOWEVER, thanks to this suggestion first coming up from my beta's, I have written an Outtake in JPOV, outtake for the whole story to be posted after I'm done.**

**We have about 36 or so chapters total, so we are getting closer. Leave me your thoughts!**


	24. Chapter 24 Glimpses

**A/N: So sorry that I'm late! It's been a helluva week. But, hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint. We get a little more about Edward in this chapter.**

**Thanks again to my betas, torisurfergirl and starpower31…I couldn't do this without them…and none of you would read it without them making my words make sense! Haha, love you two!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 24 – Glimpses

"I've come to believe that all my past failure and frustration were actually laying the foundation for the understandings that have created the new level of living I now enjoy."

Tony Robbins

BPOV

"_It's a girl."_

That sentence kept repeating over and over in my head. Edward and I were on our way to his parents' house to tell them the news. We were both extremely excited about the news and wanted to share it with everyone as soon as possible.

Edward had called his parents right after we left the doctor, and Esme's excited voice invited us over immediately. She said that she had made plenty of dinner and we could join her.

"You're practically bouncing in your seat," I observed, turning to face Edward. He had had the cutest smile on his face since we'd found out the sex of the baby. No one could doubt how happy he was.

"I just can't wait to tell Mom and Dad…and you realize that Esme is going to go crazy buying little girl's clothes. She always wanted a girl. Unfortunately, she got stuck with two snot-nosed little boys." Glancing over, he winked at me. I smiled back and reached over to place my hand on his leg.

"I hope they are as happy about this as we are," I stated, watching the trees fly by me.

Edward's parents lived in this beautiful neighborhood in Northern Reno. It was far from the part of town where I lived, and where the hospital was, but the nice thing about Reno being a small town is that it didn't take you longer than thirty minutes to get anywhere in this area.

Before I knew it, we were pulling up to his parents' house and being ushered inside by a very excited-looking Esme. She led us into the kitchen where Carlisle was eating a sandwich.

"So? How did it go?" Esme gushed, practically bouncing up and down. "Did you find out the sex of the baby?"

Edward chuckled, putting his hands on Esme's shoulders to calm her down. "I promise we will tell you, just let us sit down for a minute, OK?"

I could tell she was reluctant, but she nodded anyway. Edward and I sat down while Esme got us both something to drink. She brought us each a bottle of water, before sitting down and staring at us expectantly.

Edward and I exchanged a smile, and I turned to Esme and Carlisle, announcing, "It's a girl!"

Never had I seen someone so excited about three words as much as Esme was. She jumped up and actually danced around the kitchen. She ran over and hugged both of us, before planting a huge kiss on Carlisle's lips.

"Mom, calm down." Edward chuckled. His hand slid under the table and squeezed my hand. "Bella, tell her the name we decided on."

Esme calmed down quickly, her eyes boring into mine. "You have a name already?"

"Yes," I said, smiling at her. "The middle name will be Carlie, after my dad. His name was Charlie…it also has a little bit of Carlisle in it. So, the middle name will be after both of the baby's grandfathers. The first name is also a combination of two names. My middle name is Marie, and I've always loved that name. The other name is after someone who is going to be very important in this baby's life…"

I paused, for impact, and then continued, "We want to name her Esmerie. It's a combination of Esme and Marie. We would call her Merie."

Esme's eyes grew wide, and I saw tears streaming down her face. Slowly, she walked over to me and hugged me tightly. "Thank you," she whispered. "That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me."

After the tears were gone, we had a pleasant evening. Esme had made spaghetti and homemade garlic bread, so we sat around the table eating dinner and chatting. At one point in the evening, Alice called. She was excited for us and said that she couldn't wait to find out the sex of her baby. We didn't talk for too long, but she did have a short conversation with Esme. Watching Esme's face light up while talking to Alice and hearing the one-sided conversation, I could tell that those two were fast becoming friends.

For a moment, I felt a little bit of jealousy at their easy relationship, but it didn't last. Alice had never really had a mother figure in her life. Her aunt and uncle, who had raised her, were very nice to her, but they were not parents. They had decided long before they got Alice that children were not in their future, so when Alice got dropped off when she was a year old, they didn't really know what to do with her. She had always wanted a parental figure, like I had had with Charlie. I found that I was truly happy for her.

After dinner, we moved into the living room. I was sipping some Chamomile tea that Esme had brought me when Carlisle suggested he and Edward go into the garage. He explained that he was having trouble with the engine of his truck and wanted Edward to look at it with him. I knew that Edward didn't really care for working on cars but he didn't refuse his father.

The boys left, and Esme and I were left to chat. She was a very easy woman to like. I hadn't told her yet about my troubles with my mother, but either Edward did or she sensed it, because she was very reserved with me. At this point, it was something that I was fine with. Maybe, down the road, she and I could be closer. To be honest, I didn't want to encroach on Edward's mother too much…being the damaged person I am.

"You really look like you are glowing, Bella. Pregnancy is great for you," Esme was saying, bringing me back to reality.

"Thank you, Esme. I am starting to feel a little uncomfortable…it's really hard finding a comfortable way to sleep!" I laughed, palming my growing belly.

"Yes, that I remember vividly. Poor Carlisle. I was horrible to him as I got farther along in the pregnancies. I'm afraid I turned really nasty." she laughed, setting her cup of tea down.

Laughing with her, I responded, "Yeah, I remember this boyfriend I had when I was in high school who used to tell me how snotty I was when I got sick. He was only around for one cold and the start of the flu before he broke up with me. He said that I got mean while sick."

"That reminds me of Edward's girlfriend Tonya, rest her soul. She came over once when her parents were out of town for a weekend. She had a cold, or something, and she was demanding and nasty the whole weekend. I remember telling Edward that he needed to dump that one…if she was nasty for a little cold, how would she be with anything else? Then of course I felt guilty for saying that after she died…"

I had frozen, eyes wide. Esme stared at me for a second, before her cheeks turned red. Edward had never mentioned a girlfriend before me, and he certainly never told me anything about a dead girlfriend. Images of Edward pining away at the bedside of the women he loved, crying about his one true love dying, flew through my head. My heart started beating fast, and I could feel the blood rush to my face.

"Um, we need to get going. I'm tired, and I have a lot of cleaning left ahead of me today," I whispered, standing up and setting my teacup down. Esme's face was still red as she stood up to walk me toward the garage.

"Edward, Bella is tired, I think you guys should head home," she yelled, opening the garage door. "Wash your hands before you come in!"

A minute or two later, Edward and Carlisle came in the garage door, wiping their hands on a greasy looking towel. He was smiling until his eyes met mine. Immediately, his smile was gone and his eyes darkened. He looked from me to Esme, who refused to meet his eyes.

"Is everything OK?" Edward whispered, after he came to stand next to me. Silently nodding, I whispered my goodbyes to Edward's parents, and we walked out to the car without saying a word.

Once we were on the road, Edward glanced at me. I was trying not to cry, and I wasn't really sure why I wanted to cry. _Maybe he doesn't trust me enough to tell me about this girl? Maybe he didn't want to tell me because he was so in love with her that it's painful to talk about?_

"Are you OK?" Edward asked, helping me out of the car once we got home. I was still trying to hold myself together, so I didn't answer. Plus, I didn't want to say what I had to say until we were inside. No use in having our neighbors hear us.

Once the door was shut to our apartment, I turned on him. "Who is Tonya?"

EPOV

My heart had stopped beating. The day that had started off so well; finding out the sex of the baby, having a wonderful dinner with my parents and knowing how happy everybody was…now I was terrified. I had always intended to tell Bella about Tonya. There was even a point where it was on the tip of my tongue. For some reason, something stopped me from telling her the whole story.

"Bella…listen—" I began.

"No, you listen to me. Your mother said that she was your girlfriend who _died_. You told me that we were going to be honest with each other. You have sat through the story of every single man I've been with…the story of my mother, my father's death. Shit, everything that's happened to me. And you didn't feel the need to share something like a dead girlfriend with me? What the hell am I to you that you can just ignore the important things in _your_ life like that? What the fuck, Edward?"

I had never heard Bella curse that much in one breath. Her eyes were flashing, her cheeks were red and her hands were on her hips. It looked like she was about to cry, and that broke my heart more than anything.

"OK, Bella, I know you are mad, and you have every right to be. Can we just sit down and discuss this calmly?"

"How can we discuss this calmly? You tell me you love me, that you love our baby, but you don't tell me something this important? What else aren't you telling me? Are you lying to me about anything else, Edward?"

At this point, she had started pacing. I had never seen her worked up like this before, and I regretted not telling her earlier. This was my mistake to fix…I just had to make her listen to me.

"Bella, please, I do love you…and our baby. I love you so much. Please, please, just let me explain," I begged. Moving in front of her, I forced her to look at me and stop pacing. There were tears streaming down her face. I placed my hands on either side of her face, wiping the tears. "Baby, please. Please listen to me."

She shook her head, stepping back a pace. My hands dropped, but I didn't take a step closer to her. I couldn't push her; maybe I just needed to give her some space…

"Do you want me to leave?" I whispered.

Bella was silent for a moment, so I looked up to meet her eyes. Her hands were on her belly, and she was looking at me. She shook her head. "I'm scared. We are having a baby together, living together and sleeping together every night, and you didn't trust me enough to tell me something this important."

"I know, baby, I messed up. I should have told you long ago. It's not that I didn't trust you enough to tell you. Honestly, I meant to in the beginning, but I held back. I guess I thought it would freak you out. I wanted us to get to know each other, and be a couple, before I told you this story." Feeling utterly helpless, I sat down at the kitchen table. Slowly, she followed me, sitting across the table from me.

"How can we get to know each other if you are leaving out key points of your life? Come on, Edward, you have to at least see my point here!"

I nodded. "Yes, of course I do, I completely agree with you. I handled this all wrong. Please, let me tell you my story—I promise it's not as bad as you think—and give me another chance. I won't keep anything else from you."

Bella looked at me like she was trying to gauge my sincerity. After a few moments of her staring at me, she finally nodded. "I messed up by shoving you aside twice already in this relationship. I guess I have to be patient with you, like you were with me. I'm sorry I got so mad…but when you mother mentioned Tonya, and I had never heard of her, I got hurt. I thought we were doing so well. Instead, I have to remember that you are human."

Cocking my head to the side, I asked, "What do you mean by that?"

She smiled slightly and leaned back in the chair. "I had a bad habit of thinking about you as perfect in the beginning. Assigning that label to anyone is a bad idea. The more you think of that person as perfect, the more likely you are going to be disappointed someday."

A light bulb went on over my head. That's exactly what my problem was. "Baby, I do that, too! I always say to myself, 'my perfect Bella' or 'she is so perfect for me.' You're right, that can't be good for our relationship. I'm setting you too high. You are human, too."

Bella smiled and reached her hand over to mine. "Exactly my point. Now, I'm definitely calmer, so, why don't we go into the living room so I can sit on something much more comfy. Then, you can tell me your story, OK?"

I brought her hand up to my mouth, kissing it lightly. "Yes, ma'am."

We made our way slowly to the living room, sitting next to each other on the couch. Bella reached out her hand to mine, and I grasped it tightly. Shifting a little in my seat, so I could see her, I began my story:

"I met Tonya about six years ago. She was in my Economics class at UNR. She had a very fiery personality…meaning she would get upset quickly, but that would die out fast. We didn't have very much in common, except school, so we didn't get along very well. For some reason, I thought she was perfect for me. You know the yin to my yang or whatever. I never did see her clearly…she was the polar opposite, so I assumed that meant that she complimented me. Unfortunately, all that did was cause fights. And, boy, there were a lot. While I cared for her, I never loved her. And I doubt that she ever loved me. We were two lonely people, who just hung out a lot."

I paused. This next part would be hard to say, and Bella may get angry from hearing it. "When I asked her to marry me,"—Bella's swift inhale was enough to tell me I was right in my assessment—"I think that I just believed there couldn't be anyone else out there for me. I never loved her enough to be her husband…I can see that now, but at the time I thought I was doing the right thing.

"My parents weren't as happy for me as I thought they would be. Mom took me aside at our engagement party and asked if I was doing what I really wanted to do. I didn't understand why she was doing that, and I got a little upset with her. I ended up getting Tonya and leaving early. I had had a few too many drinks…Tonya, too. We fought the whole way back to my apartment, and by the time we got there, she didn't want to stay the night with me. I begged her to stay, or to at least call a cab, but she was insistent."

My heart was heavy with the memories of how I'd felt back then after losing her. The guilt most of all. "If I had just made her stay with me, she would be alive now. It's my fault. I didn't make her stay…"

"Edward," Bella's quiet, calm voice whispered, bringing me back to reality.

Looking up at her, I could see that her face was full of compassion, but there was something else there. Realizing how I must have just sounded, I needed to correct that before she took it farther in her head. "Bella, please don't misunderstand me. If the universe ever gave me a choice between Tonya and you, I would choose you every damn time. I love you…you compliment me better than she ever did. She was not who I was meant to be with. You are."

"Edward, I—"Bella was cut off by the sound of knocking at her door. She smiled and started to stand, but I pushed her down softly, and got up to answer the door.

I opened the door to what looked like Bella's older, evil twin. She had her same features and height but there was no denying that their personalities were polar opposites. Her resemblance to Bella too great, and her expression too grave to deny. This had to be Renee.

With sour-grapes lips, she huffed, "I want to see my daughter," she huffed at me. I turned to look at Bella, who looked like a deer caught in headlights. She stood up, slowly, and walked to the door.

"What do you want, Renee?"

**A/N: So, what do you think? I SWEAR, I will try to post the next chapter before Thanksgiving!**


	25. Chapter 25 The Past

**A/N: OK, so I have to say, you've read a little bit about Renee, but you get much more here. She is not your typical Renee…and some of you may not be happy with how I portray her. The purpose of my doing this was for all of you to understand Bella by understanding how her mother treated her. So, I hope you all don't hate me, but this part was necessary to my overall story.**

**I must thank my girls! Starpower31 and torisurfergirl…boy, what would I do without you two!?**

Chapter 25 – The Past

"When you forgive, you in no way change the past - but you sure do change the future."

Bernard Meltzer

BPOV

"What do you want, Renee?" I asked my mother, who was standing outside my apartment. She looked furious—a look I easily recognized. It had been a rare moment when, as a child, she hadn't been angry with me. _Haven't I always been a constant disappointment, _Mother_?_

"Don't take that tone with me, you little shit. I've come to tell you that I have the money you need," Renee said, walking into my home like she owned the place. She dropped her purse on the floor and draped her jacket over the back of the couch.

_Money? What the hell?_ "What are you talking about?" I asked, closing the door behind her. "I don't need any money."

"Oh, yes you do. I have the money you'll need for the baby. There's no way that you can do this on your own. You can barely take care of yourself…there is no way that you can take care of a baby." She flopped on my couch, kicking her feet up on my coffee table.

Edward was still standing next to me, and I felt him tense. Knowing Edward as well as I did at that point, I knew he wouldn't step into the conversation unless I needed him…or unless Renee crossed the line. I walked over to Renee, pushed her feet off my coffee table, and sat down in the chair across from her. Edward came and stood behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. Renee's head snapped up, as if she had just seen him for the first time. Her eyes narrowed.

"Who is _that_?" she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"_That_ is the father of my child, and my boyfriend. We are managing just fine getting ready for our baby, and there's absolutely no reason why we'd need to take your money." My chin lifted defiantly in the air. It was amazing how childlike my mother could make me act.

"Oh, please! You think this man is going to stay with you just because you're pregnant? He's enjoying the free ride you are probably giving him with your father's life insurance money. Once that runs out, he'll leave. They all leave, Isabella."

"It's Bella," Edward said quietly. I felt his hand tighten on my shoulder. _I'm not enjoying this any more than you are, Edward._

"Don't you talk to me, you asshole! I'm speaking to _my_ daughter, who _I _named! I can call her whatever the hell I want!" Renee stood up and began walking over to Edward. As quickly as I could, given my size, I stood up and blocked her path.

"That's far enough, Renee." I held my hand out, pressing it against her stomach.

"Stop calling me that! I am your mother, and I deserve your respect. Pregnant or not, I will put you in your place." Her hand came up and instinctively, I closed my eyes, turning my head to the side. She had threatened me daily…but only once did she make contact. That was enough for me.

However, the blow that I was expecting never came. I looked up to see Edward's hand clutching Renee's arm. Clearly, he knew that she had been about to hit me, and he had blocked her by grabbing her arm. The look on Renee's face was priceless. She was clearly angry, as her cheeks were red and her eyes were wide.

"Get your hands off me!" she cried, pulling her arm away from him.

"Keep your hands off _her_," Edward said, quietly and calmly. "I think it's time that you leave."

"I'm not leaving without my daughter."

Shocked, I looked up at her. "You think I'm coming with you?" I squealed. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Finally—and I should have expected this given how horrible my mother was behaving—Edward snapped. He stepped forward, grabbed her coat off the back of the couch, picked up her purse from the floor and walked to the front door. He placed both items just outside before turning to face Renee.

"I think we've been more than patient with you. I don't care how far you came, or what your purpose was in coming here, but you are no longer welcome. I am asking you to leave our home, now, before I make you leave."

Even though his voice was calm, I could hear the anger pouring out of each and every word he'd spoke so carefully. I couldn't deal with my mother anymore, so I was inclined to let him get her out of there. At least now he truly understood what I had been dealing with my whole life.

"How dare you—" she started, only to stop as Edward took another step toward her.

"This is _our_ home…not yours. Get out now, or I will call the police and have you removed."

Renee's eyes shot over to me, as if expecting me to defend her. Maybe it was Edward standing up to her, or the personality change because of the baby, I didn't know, but for the first time in my life I held my head high and refused to back down.

"You heard him. He has more rights in this house than you do. He is asking you to leave, so you better do it. Oh, and _Renee_,—"I emphasized the word, knowing it would drive her crazy, "—This is the last time. You and I are done. I'm changing my number, and I expect you to leave me alone from here on out. I will not raise my child in this type of environment. As far as I'm concerned, both of my parents are gone. Get out…and stay gone."

Renee looked almost comical as her mouth opened and then closed. My self-esteem finally jumped up a little as I watched her. For the first time in my life, I had stood up to my mother.

Renee, however, wasn't going to take any of that without having the final word. She was nothing if not a creature of habit. "Fine, I'll leave, Isabella. But, I want you to listen to me. Your father may have loved you more than me, but that doesn't mean that this man is the same way. He'll leave you just like all of the others. He'll leave you because you aren't worth anything. Never have been. You have been a waste of my time, money and energy since you were born.

"I am all too happy to leave you alone. Phil and I are moving to Florida in a couple months, so you won't be able to find me. If you should come to your senses before that and realize that you _do_ need me, you know where to find me. If you wait too long, your chance will be gone."

As my cheeks heated up, she turned her glare toward Edward. Taking a step forward, Renee pushed her finger into his chest. His jaw grew rigid, but he didn't move.

"And, _you_, whatever your name is…if you are after money then you better leave now. I don't know what that little snot told you, but she doesn't have that much. Not enough to hold you for too long, anyway. Plus, with her figure, she'll probably never lose the weight after the baby. Pretty soon, you'll be stuck with a baby, a fat girlfriend and no money."

Edward had obviously had enough. He grabbed Renee by the hand and pushed her outside. As soon as the door was closed, he turned around and swiftly pulled me into his arms. I hadn't realized that I was crying until he wiped a tear off my cheek.

"Bella," he said, pulling my chin up so I was looking at him. "I don't want you to believe a word that she said. She is an extremely insecure person who pushes all of her doubt and fear onto other people. You are a wonderful person, the only person in the world that I could ever love. You are everything to me…and the fact that you are giving me a child means the world to me. I love you so much."

I nodded, unable to speak. My head fell against his chest, and I began to cry harder. He calmed me down by whispering over and over again how much he loved me and holding me tight. After a few minutes, I had calmed down enough to make it to the couch. Edward pulled me onto his lap, his hands resting on my belly.

We didn't speak—it wasn't necessary. We just held each other. The whole day had been filled with one emotional issue after another; first the sex of the baby, then the fight with Edward and now my mother. Apparently, I had had too much upheaval for one day, because before I knew it, I was waking up to Edward carrying me to bed.

"Shh, don't move, beautiful. You're exhausted, and I'm taking you to bed." He kissed my forehead and set me on the bed gently.

"What time is it?"

"Just after nine."

"God, I feel so old for going to bed so early," I said, sitting up slightly and rubbing my eyes. "I'm so sorry about her."

Edward chuckled a little bit, winding his arms around me again. "You never have to apologize to me about her."

"'Kay," I whispered. I wound my arms around him bringing his lips to mine. "I'm also sorry that I freaked out about Tonya."

"No. No, you were right. We've been together for a while now, and I should have told you. I'm sorry that I never told you that story."

My phone ringing stopped me from saying anymore. Edward stood up and walked into the living room, coming back holding my phone. I checked the screen…it was Alice.

"Hi, Ali."

"B? What's wrong?"

"I forgot about your creepy ability to read my moods. Renee was just here," I sighed, snuggling closer to Edward as he slid into bed next to me. "She was her normal self."

"Oh, God, I'm sorry! How did Edward handle her?"

I snickered. "He threw her out."

Alice laughed with me. "That's awesome. See, B? I told you he was perfect for you."

Edward joined us in laughing. He had apparently heard what Alice had said. "So, what's up with you, Ali?"

"Well, I wanted to invite you and Edward over for dinner tomorrow night. I know it's Saturday night, and you guys might be going out, but I haven't had you over since I moved in…"

Looking up at Edward, he nodded, so I responded, "Sure. We'd love to come over for dinner. What time?"

"Jazz, what time do we want them to come over?" I could hear talking in the background, but I couldn't tell what was being said. "How about five?"

"Jasper is there?"

"Uh, yeah, he's here every Friday night."

"Very cool. Well, we'll see you tomorrow night at five. I'll tell you all about Renee," I said, ending the call.

"Jasper was there?" Edward asked. It sounded like he was just as confused as I was.

"Yeah, Alice said he is there every Friday."

Sliding out of bed, Edward began changing into his pajamas. "Huh…I guess that's a good thing. Seems weird, though. Wonder what brought on that change?"

Edward came over to the bed and helped me into my pajamas also. "I'm not sure, but I believe it has to do Esme. Alice said that she thought Esme threatened him or something. She didn't go into it too much, but that's the general idea."

After switching off the lights, making sure that the front door was locked and shutting the bedroom door, Edward slipped into bed with me. I turned to lie on my side, and he wrapped himself around me, gently stroking my stomach.

"Mom's awesome. If she can get Jasper to come around and do what he's supposed to do, then that's all the better for Alice and the baby," he murmured in my ear. His lips were so close to the side of my face; I felt heat spread through my body.

His tongue snaked out of his mouth and gently licked my ear, sending tingles all down my body. Shifting slightly, so that I was facing him, I brought my lips to his. I enjoyed the taste of wine on his tongue, since I wasn't allowed to drink. His hand came up to my face, stroking down my cheek, my neck and stopped on my breast.

Edward had enjoyed the fact that my breasts were getting bigger and played with them often. Shoving my nightgown aside, his hands began rubbing my breasts, turning my nipples into painful peaks. By this time, his tongue was lacing down my neck. I arched my chest as his mouth came to rest on my already throbbing nipple. They were extra sensitive these days, and his mouth on them caused me to moan loudly.

With his mouth still manipulating my nipple, his hand slid down my growing belly and pushed my underwear down. His fingers slid over my heat, manipulating, caressing, and soon had me panting and begging for release.

His mouth moved to mine, as he slid carefully over my body. The belly posed only a slight problem at this point. I wasn't too big yet, so while he had to be careful, we could still make love.

"Ready, beautiful?" Edward whispered, lifting his lips away from mine for a moment. His eyes searched mine, and I nodded, unable to speak.

With heartbreaking tenderness, he slowly entered me. He began to move in and out leisurely, causing my breath to hitch in my throat. One hand moved to my breast, peaking my nipple again, while the other one moved next to my face. Leaning on one arm, he brought his lips down again. His tongue slid across my bottom lip, begging for entrance. Opening my mouth to him, I felt myself get closer as he continued to slide in and out.

Moaning slightly, I bent my knees and pulled my feet up to circle his back, encouraging him to move faster. As if reading my mind, Edward began to move faster. His lips hadn't moved, but I found that I was out of breath. I pulled my head away, gasping for air, and he continued kissing me down my neck. When he moved to the tender spot behind my ear, my release came hard.

"Edward!" I screamed, as my legs squeezed tighter around him.

"Bella…I love you…" Edward leaned up a bit, and I saw his eyes roll back into his head for a moment.

Soon, we both collapsed on the bed, tired and sated. His arms came around me once more, and he snuggled into my back. He was still stroking my belly, and I felt sleep starting to pull me under.

"You make me so happy, Bella. I couldn't imagine my life without you."

**A/N: So….what's the verdict? Let me know what you think!**


	26. Chapter 26 A Start

**A/N: Welcome back! I hope all my US friends had a fantastic holiday weekend…and to my non-US friends, I hope you had a great weekend also!**

**This chapter is a turning point for Alice, and I think you'll see why. There are some explanations which should answer a lot of the questions I've been getting lately. There is more, but here is a start that should definitely help you all begin to understand what's going on.**

**Thanks again to my fantabulous beta's torisurfergirl and starpower31…without you, I could not do this, and for that I am forever grateful!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 26 – A Start

"The beginnings and endings of all human undertakings are untidy."

John Galsworthy

APOV

Jasper had shown up around 3:30pm, only to find me a tearful mess. His demeanor had changed quite a bit lately, but I think that my tears freaked him out. He rushed into my apartment, looking around as if he would find the source of my tears. When nothing became apparent, he rushed over to me, putting his hands on my arms and tried to steady me.

"Alice, what's wrong? Is it the baby? Are you OK?" Jasper asked, still looking around the apartment.

Shaking my head, I breathed, "I can't get my apartment clean in time. I should have started earlier…I don't want Bella to see how much of a mess I am!"

To his credit, Jasper didn't crack a smile. I knew that I was acting like an irrational, crazy person, but unfortunately, controlling emotions was not easy for me right now. Silently, he released me and began helping me clean up. Even though our relationship was growing very slowly—still strained on some levels—I felt closer to him at that moment than I ever had. Without verbal judgment, he just helped me.

It wasn't very long before he was pushing me toward the kitchen to start dinner, telling me that he would finish cleaning. Breathing a sigh of relief, I pulled the casserole out of the refrigerator along with the steaks I was cooking for Edward and Jasper. When Jasper and I had shopped for this dinner the night before, I had found a marinade that sounded fantastic. It was called "Garlic and Herb" and I was looking forward to trying a little bite of it. Jasper always shared his food with me.

"The living room and the hallway bathroom are clean. Do you want me to clean up anything else?" Jasper asked, walking into the kitchen.

"No, I think that's good enough. Thank you, Jasper," I said. I opened up the oven, peaking at the casserole and steaks. Jasper walked up behind me, bending down to look in the oven with me.

"Those look great, Ali."

Momentarily forgetting what I was doing, I straightened up and looked at him. He had never called me that before. He stood up straight also, and looked back at me. Our eyes met, and that lust that I've been feeling for him came rushing back. A hot feeling spread through my body, filling my cheeks with the most embarrassing blush.

Gently, Jasper put his hand up to my face, cupping my cheek. "You look amazing when you do that." He leaned in closer, and I swear he was about to kiss me. The sound of the doorbell stopped him though. Dropping his hand, he walked swiftly over to the door, opening it for Bella and Edward.

"Ali, it smells so good in here!" Bella exclaimed, handing me a bottle of sparkling apple cider. Edward walked in behind her and smiled at both Jasper and myself.

"Thanks! I was thinking about making lasagna, but I'm not very good at precooking the noodles. Then Jasper and I were shopping last night and found a great deal on steak, along with the garlic and herb marinade, so I just had to try it. I was thinking about picking up a dessert, but Jasper suggested that we just have some ice cream, since it's been warm lately. And I already had dessert so I didn't have to buy anything for that…" I knew I was rambling, but that small encounter I'd just had with Jasper had thrown me a little bit.

Bella looked at me curiously, and I shook my head slightly, indicating that I would talk to her later. Bella, being the wonderful friend that she had always been, didn't pursue it. She and Edward sat down at my tiny kitchen table, Jasper stood in the doorway, and I busied myself with the salad, trying to ignore the uncomfortable silence.

"So," Jasper began, nervously running his hand through his hair. "I heard you guys had your sonogram yesterday. How did that go?"

"Dude, it was amazing. You can see the baby so clearly and detailed at this age. She was sucking her thumb and everything!" Edward said, obviously proud.

I dropped the knife, turning around swiftly. "It's a girl?!" I squealed, running to Bella. She stood up, throwing her arms around me.

"Yes, it's a girl. Isn't that awesome?" Bella squealed along with me. We hugged for a moment before we realized that the boys were just staring at us. "Sorry, boys, but we _are_ allowed to get all girly now and then!"

Laughing, I disconnected myself from Bella and went back to the salad. "I'm so happy for you guys! I seriously can't wait for ours next Friday. It feels like forever away."

Jasper came to stand next to me, handing me the rest of the ingredients for the salad. I smiled my thanks and continued chopping. His hand slid across my back, very lightly, as he walked back over to the kitchen table. It was a slight touch, but it caused me to tingle a little. My eyes shot to Bella, whose eyebrows were up so far they were practically in her hair. I smiled a little and turned back to the salad.

Edward and Jasper started talking about the local baseball team in Reno and how well they were doing so far this year. Bella wandered over to me, leaning against the counter.

"So, looks like things are going well with you guys. He's over here a lot, huh?" Bella said, grabbing a carrot from the salad.

"Yes, we have dinner at least three times a week. Jasper, it seems, is a creature of habit. He comes over every Friday, Sunday and Wednesday night. Him being here on a Saturday is different!" I laughed a little, pouring the last of the tomatoes into the salad. "He comes over on Sundays to do grocery shopping, but for some reason, yesterday he said he wanted to do the shopping right then. It was his idea to invite you guys over, actually."

"Hmm," she hummed. "Seems like this is coming out of nowhere…"

"Actually, it's been building for a while. Since I was in the hospital, he's made a solid effort. We have seen each other fairly regularly, we talk, we laugh, we watch movies. We are getting to know each other."

The timer beeped, indicating that the food was ready. Once I had it all set out on the table, we sat down and began filling our plates. Bella expressed her love of my casserole, while Edward and Jasper could barely talk as they shoved the steak in their mouths. I was feeling pretty good about my cooking skills when Jasper put a few cuts of steak on my plate.

"You wanted to try it, right?" Jasper asked, as I looked up at him.

I nodded, smiling. "Thank you."

Edward and Bella exchanged a look that I couldn't quite read, and then they went back to eating. The evening went by fairly smoothly. Jasper and I listened with our mouths hanging open to Bella and Edward's story of Renee's visit.

"Wow," was all Jasper could say.

"That is just classic Renee," I said, trying to shift closer to Jasper without seeming obvious. His arm snaked above the couch, laying right above my shoulders. He shifted toward me, also, effectively putting my head in the crook of his shoulder. I felt my face heat up with pleasure.

"Well, some things never change, I suppose." Bella looked at Edward again. He stood up and held his hand out to Bella. "Well, guys, we should get going. I've been going to bed pretty early these days."

I stood up as well, hugging Bella quickly. "Thanks for coming over!"

Jasper shook Edward's hand, thanking him as well. Edward and Bella left shortly after they collected their stuff, leaving Jasper and I alone again. I stood hovering near the kitchen, not really sure what I should do at this point.

"God, those two can be so irritating," Jasper said, as he started cleaning the kitchen.

"What?"

"Every time I touched you they looked at each other, and they couldn't keep their hands off each other all night. It's like they were flaunting their perfect relationship the whole night."

"But, isn't that a good thing? That they are happy?" I was very confused by his attitude. "I didn't notice them all over each other, but I did notice them looking at each other a lot. I thought it was sweet."

"Huh." Jasper sighed. "They were all kinds of judgmental on us. Am I not allowed to share my food with you? Am I not allowed to sit next to you on the couch, or give you a napkin when you need one? Seriously?"

"I didn't think about it like that. It looked like they were just surprised at how close we've become." The little crinkle between his eyebrows was back. I've noticed that it only shows up when he is thinking something he doesn't want to say. "What, Jazz? Just tell me."

Slowly, he walked toward me. "This is all very new to me…I don't think I've ever gotten to know anybody like this before. I feel like I could answer questions that people ask you directly…and I feel like I could just stay here talking to you forever."

Tears sprang up in my eyes, as he moved to stand immediately in front of me. "You kept me waiting long enough."

He chuckled, bringing his hand to my cheek. "My apologies, ma'am." Slowly, he brought his lips down to mine, and immediately the world around us disappeared. Unfortunately the kiss didn't last long. "My mother will kill me if I do this any other way…I think we should take this slow."

"Jasper, we are having a child together, and you want to move slowly?" Finally, he was doing what I wanted for so long, and he wanted to go slow.

Frustrated, he took a step away from me. "I know. Dammit, Alice, you think I don't want to take you to bed? You think that being able to be here for you and our baby hasn't been great for me? I thought I was going to hate it, I thought it was going to be miserable. But, now all I can do is think about you! But, if I rush it, I might ruin it. Ali, I don't want to ruin this."

"OK, Jazz. I understand. We don't have to sleep together now," I said, holding my hand out to him. He took it, stepping closer to me again. "But don't keep me waiting for that too long either."

He smiled, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek.

~~~O.o~~~

"I'm nervous," I whispered, as Jasper sped through streets. We were on our way to the sonogram. It would be the first time I would see the baby. Bella got to see the baby more often because of her fibroid, but my doctor never felt it necessary to do any sonograms up to this point.

"What are you nervous about? We get to see the baby." Jasper glanced at me, reaching over to grab my hand.

Since our dinner with Edward and Bella, he had come over every night. His chaste kisses were just about driving me crazy, but I was happy to have contact with him at all. If he didn't put any kind of moves on me soon, I may have to jump him and get over it. My hormones were driving me crazy…and so was Jasper.

"I don't know… it's just the first time I'll get to see the baby. What if there is something wrong with it?"

"Oh, I'm sure everything's fine." He parked near the doctor's office and turned to face me. "Ali, we might get to see the sex of the baby today!"

"I know. And I'm sure everything is fine. I just can't help but wonder, is all."

Jasper and I made our way into the office. Before too long, a technician was taking us into the room. He chatted with us while he was getting set up, and my nerves were making me shake a little. Jasper stood awkwardly beside me until I reached my hand out to him. He grasped my hand tightly as our breath was taken away by seeing our baby on the screen.

A short half an hour later, we were walking out of the office, still holding hands, and grinning from ear to ear. The technicians can't tell us for sure, of course, but everything looked good.

Jasper opened the car door for me, which was unusual, and walked around to get in himself. He sped through the city to get to my apartment. We didn't talk; we were still basking in the news we had heard. By the time we were walking into my apartment, I was almost giddy.

"I can't believe it," I said, turning to face Jasper. His face mirrored my own with a huge smile on it. As soon as the door was closed, his arms flew around me. The chaste kisses were long gone as he crashed his lips down on mine. His tongue begged for entrance, and I let him. He tasted like coffee, and I just drank him in. His arms wrapped around me, lifting me up off the floor and carrying me to my room.

He lay me down on the bed gently, and then he sat up slightly to take his jacket off and kick his shoes across the room. Leaning up, I started to take off my shirt, but he took over for me, lifting it over my head. Before I could take a breath, he had my bra off and his lips were encasing my nipple. I groaned at the contact while I was trying to get his shirt off. His tongue was licking and teasing my nipple, but he leaned up a little in order to get his shirt off.

My memories of New Year's did not do this man justice. His chest was chiseled, as though he had been working out since he was born. His arms looked just as amazing, and he had a tattoo that I hadn't noticed before. It was a lightning bolt, and it was about three inches high on his upper arm. I gently traced it with my fingers with one hand, while the other was undoing his belt. Jasper chuckled a little, helping me with his belt. Soon, I had the man totally naked in my bed, and I just wanted to scream from the rooftops that he was finally mine.

Jasper, however, wasn't interested in being the only one naked in the room. He busied himself with removing the rest of my clothing, which made me feel a little self-conscious. I wasn't sure what he was going to think of me being larger than I was the last time he had seen me naked. My fears seemed to be unfounded though, because once I was naked, he looked up and smiled at me.

"Beautiful." Jasper bent down and kissed my stomach before moving lower. He slid between my legs, and I gasped as his tongue made contact with my clit. Warmth spread throughout my body. He nipped, sucked and licked on my sensitive nub. As soon as he inserted a finger, rubbing on my g-spot, I began to shake, feeling my release break over me.

Before too long, I was screaming and grabbing Jasper's hair as my release shook my body. When I was done, Jasper slid up my body, paying attention again to my breasts. Since my body was extra sensitive, it felt even better than before. I moaned his name, and he lifted his face to stare at me.

"Ali, before we do anything else, can we talk for a minute?" he said, as he slid into bed next to me. Raising my eyebrows, I silently questioned him. "Listen, I want to apologize for everything I've said and done for the last few months. I've been talking to a therapist since you were taken to the hospital…I've also been talking to my mother. I've come to care for you a great deal, and I realize how horrible I was before. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

My breath caught a little. "Jazz, you went to a therapist? Why?"

He shrugged a little. "After Mom yelled at me in the hospital, Dad sat me down privately and told me it was unacceptable the way that I was acting. He basically forced me to see a counselor, for at least three sessions. By the end of the first one, I was convinced it wouldn't do me any good. But, after the third I realized how I had been treating people. My mother doesn't know…just Dad."

"Jazz, that's great! Sometimes seeing a counselor can really help us sort out what's going on. But, why are you telling me now?" I leaned on my elbow, facing him. He turned so that he was facing me also, placing his hand on my cheek.

"Because I've come to realize just how deeply I care for you, and I wanted you to know that before this goes any further." He leaned in and kissed me sweetly, before moving on top of me. With painful slowness, he entered me. "I wanted to be clear what this was before it happened."

"And what exactly is this?" I breathed, unable to talk very well. My entire body felt like it was on fire.

"This is just the beginning…pretty soon we'll have our babies and we can continue to build a life together."

Still breathing heavy, as he continued to move inside me slowly, I said, "I still can't believe we get one of each. And twins! Jeez!"

Jasper chuckled a little, softly kissing me, and then lifting up to look at me in the eye. "I like to think of it as the best of both worlds. I get my boy name and you get your girl name. Perfect."

I laughed along with him, pushing him off so that I could slide on top of him. His hands immediately went to my breasts. "Oh, yeah, about that boy name…" We laughed again, and I kissed him with all my might.

**A/N: So, what do you think about the new and improved Jasper? There is definitely more to come with his story…plus the promised outtake in JPOV!**


	27. Chapter 27 Life As We Know It

**A/N: Hello all! I know that I am updating super early, but that's only because I may not be able to post the next one for over a week. So, I wanted to give you guys this…even though you may not be happy with me once you get to the end…**

**Thanks again to my fabulous beta's, torisurfergirl and starpower31 – love you two!**

Chapter 27 – Life As We Know It

"No one is so brave that he is not disturbed by something unexpected."

Julius Caesar

BPOV

We drove away from Alice's apartment in silence. Watching Jasper with Alice throughout the evening had been a big eye-opener. _One thing is for sure, he _never_ acted like that with me._

"Well, that was interesting," Edward stated, turning into our apartment complex. "Jasper seems like a totally different person."

"I completely agree." I got out of the car and started walking toward the apartment. Edward caught up to me and reached for my hand, winding his fingers through mine. "I wonder what happened that changed him so much? Is it just because of the baby?"

Edward unlocked the door, opening it wide for me. I waddled in, heading straight to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I saw him standing in the doorway watching me, so I turned around and said, "What's wrong?"

"I was just wondering why you were so concerned about Jasper's behavior? My little brother has always been like that…never consistent. But," he said, walking closer to me. "What exactly is it that's bothering you?"

"Like what? You think I'm upset because he wasn't like this when he and I were dating? You think I'm jealous of Alice?" I demanded, setting my glass of water down. "Do you think that diminishes my feelings for you because it pisses me off that he didn't treat me like that?"

"Whoa," he commented, holding his hands up in front of him. "I never said anything like that. Bella, what is going on?"

"Fine, then what were you thinking? You obviously had an idea of what would be bothering me."

"Actually, I thought you were worried about Alice. If she is getting attached and Jasper doesn't stay this nice to her, then she could get hurt," he explained. Edward walked toward me, placing his hands on my arms. "Baby, do you feel those things? Are you upset that he didn't treat you like that?"

Sighing in defeat, I leaned my head against his chest. "A little. I just wonder what's wrong with me that he didn't treat me like that, I guess. I don't want him back—definitely not! I'm with you, and I'm happy about that. Beyond happy, actually."

"Well, that's good to hear." Edward kissed me on the forehead. "And, it's not you. This is typical Jasper. I hope that he has changed for good, but I can't hold any hope for that.

"Bella, it's natural to feel that way. I can promise you that it's not you. Please trust me on that."

"'Kay."

"Come on, let's go to bed."

"One sec, I heard my phone vibrate a minute ago, let me check it real quick." I walked over to where I had thrown my purse when we'd came in and grabbed my cell. "Looks like Renee called again. We need to go into the store and get my number changed. Oh, good, looks like she left a voicemail."

I selected the voicemail option and put it on speaker. Pretty soon, Renee's angry voice was echoing off the kitchen tile:

"_Isabella, this is ridiculous. I can't believe that you are choosing this man over your own mother! You know I only said those things to help you. I will not coddle you, and you know that. Call me back. You have five weeks until Phil and I move. That's exactly how long you have to apologize to me."_

"Wow. Your mother is seriously a piece of work," Edward commented, placing an arm around me. "Come on, love, let's forget about your mother and go to bed."

~~O.o~~

Ten Weeks Later (30 weeks along)

"Are you sure you don't want more pink?" Edward asked, setting the paint roller down and looking around at the newly painted room.

We had been working on getting the room ready for the baby, decorating it with dark brown walls and pink dots. Esme had gone crazy with buying pink clothes and stuffed animals. Carlisle had insisted on buying a beautiful pink crib. The entire room, pretty much, was basically pink.

"You think we need more pink in this room? Seriously? We have more pink in this room than I've ever seen before. If we could get rid of some pink, I would be happy. I can't believe your parents wouldn't let us decorate the room in purple," I huffed, leaning back in my rocking chair—another one of Carlisle's gifts.

Edward chuckled, "Mom does tend to go overboard sometimes."

"Don't get me wrong, I love her to death, but yeah she does." I joined in his laughter, gently stroking my belly. At thirty weeks, I was quickly becoming the size of a house. Edward told me that I was beautiful daily, but I sure didn't feel like it.

"Well, you heard what she did for Alice and Jazz, right?"

"No, what?"

"Esme, as you know, freaked out when they told her about being pregnant with twins. The week after their little announcement, she brought over this huge bundle of pink clothes, and a bundle of blue clothes. Jazz said it was so big that it took three loads in the washing machine. She also took them out to the steakhouse at Circus Circus to celebrate them officially dating." Edward started wiping his hands off on a towel. "She was over the moon that they were working things out."

"Poor Ali," I sighed.

"Why? Jasper is acting like a normal human these days, and they seem happy. Why poor Ali?"

"She has two babies beating her up from the inside. I only have one, and it's painful."

"Merie, no hurting your mother," Edward whispered, leaning closer to my stomach. Immediately, tears burned my eyes. Watching him talk to our child was amazing.

"Since you're done now, wanna take a shower with me?" I grabbed his arm as I angled myself out of the chair.

"Miss Swan, are you trying to seduce me?" His green eyes sparkled as he helped me up. "Twice this morning wasn't enough for you?"

Leaning closer to him, as close as the big belly would allow, I gazed into his eyes. "I can't get enough of you, Mr. Cullen."

The shower proved to be a wonderful idea. Not only did it sooth my aching muscles, but Edward had me screaming before we were done. Finding different positions to avoid the belly was a challenge, but Edward managed.

Before too long, we were cuddled in bed, enjoying the quiet, when my phone started ringing. I grabbed it from off the nightstand and checked the screen to see it was Alice.

"Hi, Ali."

"Hey, B! How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm close to duplex-size. You?"

"Same. Maybe a four-plex for me." We both began laughing.

"So, what's up?" I asked, sitting up a little—with Edward's help of course.

"I just wanted to know if you guys finished painting the baby's room?"

"Yes, Edward did. I was lucky that he let me be in the room, frankly, with as much as he would let me help."

"Hey, you are pregnant, and you shouldn't be doing manual labor!" Edward said, leaning against the headboard.

Rolling my eyes, I turned back to my conversation with Alice. "How are you guys coming along with your room?"

Alice paused for a second, then said, "They are in the bedroom, Jazz, just where you left them. Um, sorry, B, he couldn't find his shoes. The room's getting there. We can't paint because I don't own the place, but we put shelves on the wall, the crib and dresser are put together."

"Just one crib?"

"Well, the books say that it's easier for twins if they sleep together for at least the first few months. I have another crib, still in the box, just in case. But, I'm going to put them together to start out with."

Edward was absently rubbing my belly when I felt a dull ache spread across my belly. I attempted to ignore it. "Awesome, good idea. Have you made any progress in the boy name department?"

Alice laughed. "I finally got him past Dugan, and now he's researching strange names. No normal names like Daniel or Jonathan for our baby. Fortunately, he hasn't fought me on the girl's name, so I think I'm OK."

"I wouldn't fight you on that, Ali. You love that name." I heard Jasper say in the background. "I'm heading out, I'll see you later?"

"Oh, you are leaving now? B, I have to go. I'll call you back later, OK?"

"Sure, Ali. Bye." I hung up the phone, chuckling a little.

As I started to lay down, my breath caught because of the sudden shooting pain in my stomach. The skin felt very tight, and it felt like I was being ripped in half. I was unable to breath for a second until the pain went away. By this time, it was obvious I was in pain, and I wasn't fooling Edward.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He had shifted down on the bed, so that he was right next to me.

"I don't know," I breathed, as another wave of pain hit me. "Something's wrong. I think I'm in labor."

Edward's eyes were wide and terrified, as he flew around the room getting a bag together. He grabbed clothes, books, my laptop, my kindle and anything else that he saw. Before too long, the bag was filled to the brim.

"Edwa…" I trailed off as my body rocked in pain. He was at my side in an instant.

"What can I do?"

"Call 9-1-1, Esme and then Alice. In that order." I lay back down on the bed, noticing that I was starting to sweat. In a flash, he was up and pulling his cell out of his pocket.

"Yes, my girlfriend is going into labor, and she's only thirty weeks along…Bella, how far apart are the contractions?"

"About three or four minutes."

"Three or four minutes apart. No, her water hasn't broken yet. Yes, I can drive her. OK, thank you." Edward hung up, and sat back down on the bed. "She said that I need to get you to the hospital, but if your water breaks to call back in. Are you ready for me to get you into the car?"

Nodding, I asked, "What about Esme and Alice?" Wincing as he grabbed me, I tried not to double over from the pain.

"I'll call them from the car. I want to get you into the car and headed for the hospital. We need to get the labor stopped, Merie is not ready to come out yet."

Walking to the car turned out to be a huge effort. Edward had to practically carry me. When the pains had hit I doubled over in pain, and we had to stop completely. He carefully helped me into the car and then ran to the other side. He was so fast that I almost hadn't seen him move. As soon as he was in the car, he had it started and was revving through the parking lot.

In record time, we made it to the hospital. Edward parked in front of the hospital and ran inside. He came out a moment later with a nurse who had a wheelchair. They placed me in the wheelchair and carted me inside.

The pain was so intense that I started seeing stars. The last thing I remember was hearing Edward say:

"She's blacking out!"

**A/N: OK, so my beta's were SUPER unhappy about me leaving this chapter the way I did. Again, I may not be able to post the next chapter for over a week from now, so please don't hate me too much!**


	28. Chapter 28 Premature

**A/N: So, I was able to get to this chapter sooner than I thought, so here you all go! I know I left you with a horrible cliffy, so I am happy that I am able to post this sooner than expected.**

**Thanks again to my beta's torisurfergirl and starpower31. I appreciate both of you so much!**

**Well, that's all I have for now…let's get back to Bella and Edward.**

Chapter 28 – Premature

"Some things are so unexpected that no one is prepared for them."

Leo Rosten

EPOV

Terror. That is the only emotion that runs through my body. I watched as Bella's eyes slid back into her head, as she slumped over in the wheelchair.

"She's blacking out!" I yelled at the nurse pushing the wheelchair. He immediately called for a gurney, and two other nurses came running. Two of them lifted Bella up and placed her on the gurney, the other one came to stand next to me.

"Sir, can you tell us what's going on with your wife?" a pleasant looking nurse asked me.

"She's about thirty weeks pregnant. She started having contractions about twenty minutes ago. The contractions were about three or four minutes apart. Her water never broke, so the 9-1-1 operator told me to bring her in." I didn't even bother to correct her about Bella not being my wife. It seemed to be a time saver so that I wouldn't have to convince them to let me go with her.

"Take her up to Labor and Delivery," the nurse informed the others. She turned back to me and continued to throw questions at me. I answered as many as I could, knowing surprisingly little about her medical history.

As we were talking, we followed behind Bella. When we got to the elevator, I slid in next to her and noticed that she was still out. My heart began to race. _Why is she passed out? What's going on?_ Unfortunately, I was unable to ask either of those questions. The nurses were busy, and I didn't want to bother them.

_I can't lose her._

Once we got to the Labor and Delivery department, the nurses there took over. They inserted an IV and put two different monitors on her stomach. Bella stirred slightly but didn't quite wake up. Since the nurses were busy working on Bella, so I just stood to the side, trying to stay out of the way. Feeling completely helpless, I decided to go call my mother and Alice. At least I could feel helpful that way.

I walked out into the hall and fished my phone out of my pocket. Deciding to call my mother first, I tapped in her number and put the phone up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Mom…it's Bella," I responded. I told her about the pain, Bella passing out and being taken to Labor and Delivery. I could hear the panic in her voice as well as she told me that both her and my dad would be joining me at the hospital. "Mom?"

"What, sweetheart?"

"I'm really terrified right now. What if something happens to the baby? Or Bella? I can't even think about something happening to her," I confessed, throwing myself on a bench in the hallway outside Bella's room. I could hear the nurses moving around, and I figured that I would get in their way if I were in there.

"Oh, honey, I know you are. Just try not to think about it. You need to be strong for Bella and Esmerie right now. After this is all over, you come over here, I'll get us a couple of beers and you can break down. Deal?" My mother was seriously the most amazing person ever.

"OK, Mom, thank you! Oh, can you call Alice also? I want to get back to Bella." Standing up, I raked my hand through my hair and walked over to the room. Bella was laying back, her eyes were still closed, but she kept scrunching her face in pain.

"Yes, I'll call Alice. You go to Bella," she said, hanging up.

Pocketing my phone, I stood up and walked back into Bella's room. There was one nurse that remained in the room, and she was hovering over Bella, looking at the machines she was hooked up to. She didn't look up when I came in, but Bella did. Apparently, she was awake.

"Hi," she said, in a weak voice. "Are you OK?"

If I hadn't been so terrified, I would have chuckled. I walked over to her, grabbing the hand that didn't have an IV in it, and sat down in the chair next to the bed. "I'm fine…are _you_ OK?"

Before Bella was able to say anything, the doctor walked in. He was an older man with gray hair and a thick mustache. He had a chart and was flipping through the pages as he came to stand next to Bella's bed.

"Isabella Swan?" he asked, glancing at Bella over his glasses. His gaze shot to me very quickly, but centered back on Bella.

"Yes," Bella responded.

"Good evening, dear. My name is Dr. Riley Biers, and I'll be taking care of you today. So, your husband tells us you are 30 weeks pregnant?" he asked, glancing at the chart again.

Bella shot me a look, but answered, "Yes. I started having contractions about 20 minutes ago. They are really painful."

"Well, the monitor is picking up contractions about four minutes apart." He had walked over to the machine that was connected to Bella's stomach. "I'd like to check you to see if you are dialating or not. Regardless, we need to stop these contractions. Is it OK if I check you now?"

Bella nodded, and the doctor put on some gloves and checked her to see if she was dialating. This process took a couple minutes.

Bella nodded, and the doctor put on some gloves and checked her to see if she was dilating. This process took a couple minutes, and the whole time I was freaking out internally.

Leaning back, the doctor pulled his gloves off and pulled the blanket back over Bella's legs. "Well, the good news is that you are not dilated far. You are only about a two, but you are effaced quite a bit. I'm going to have the nurses give you a shot to stop labor for now, since it's productive labor. Once that shot kicks in, you can go home…you won't need to spend the night here after all. But, going forward, you are going to have to take pills daily in order to keep the labor from starting again."

He sat down on the bed facing Bella and I, and looking at us with a very serious face, he said, "I'm afraid I have to put you on bed rest for the duration of the pregnancy. You only have about seven more weeks until you are considered full term. But, because you are dilating and effacing, we can't take any more precautions. We want to make sure this baby cooks a little bit longer…it's not ready to come out yet."

"She," Bella whispered, tightening her grasp on my hand.

"I'm sorry, Isabella. _She's_ not ready to come out yet." He stood up and began writing on the chart in his hand. "Do you two have any questions for me?"

"Yes," I said, clearing my throat. "What sort of things can she do while on bed rest?"

"Well, no sex with penetration…be careful with nipple stimulation as well, because that can cause contractions. Also, she needs to be laying down the majority of the time, getting up only to use the bathroom…that sort of thing."

I turned and looked at Bella, whose face was a deep red—mirroring my own, I'm sure. Turning back to the doctor, I said, "No, sir, I'm sorry, that's not exactly what I meant. Does she have to be laying down flat or sitting up? Does her diet need to change? Should we call her regular doctor and let him know what's going on?"

"As long as she is not standing, it doesn't really matter if she's lying flat or sitting up. Although, as she progresses, lying flat can be painful. Just make sure she is comfortable in bed or on the couch, and she should be fine. Her regular diet should be fine…an old wives tale says spicy foods can cause labor, so you could avoid that just in case. And don't worry about her regular doctor, we will send the file of what happened today to him."

"Doctor, one more question. Do you know why Bella passed out?" I asked, squeezing her hand again.

"Well, my only guess is that the pain was too much for her to deal with, and her body shut down. It could also have been that she was having a panic attack, since labor this early is pretty scary." He looked away from the clipboard finally, and looked up at us. "Any other questions?"

Bella and I both shook our heads, and he bid us a good day and left. Turning to Bella, I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed it softly. "It's going to be OK, sweetheart. I promise. You can go out on leave from work, and I'll make sure our bills and everything are paid. I don't want you worrying about any of that."

Unfortunately, my words didn't seem to help, because Bella began crying. I slid up onto the bed and engulfed her in my arms, trying to sooth her as well as myself. She began to shake, so I slowly ran my hands up and down her back, whispering that everything would be OK.

"Edward, I'm so scared. What if she comes too early? What if they can't stop it next time? I don't want to lose her." Bella's voice was small, and she sounded scared. My heart was breaking just listening to her.

"The doctors are doing everything they can to keep Merie in there. This medication should help you from going into labor too early…" I looked up at the door just in time to see Esme and Carlisle walk through the door.

"Bella, how are you, honey?" Esme asked, walking over to us and pulling Bella into her own embrace, effectively removing me. "What's going on? Did the doctor come in already?"

I filled my parents in on what the doctor had recommended, and they were both very concerned. Very quickly, Esme volunteered to help us in any way that she could, including bringing lunches to Bella at home. Grateful for their support, I hugged them both before sitting back down next to Bella on the bed.

We chatted with my parents for a few minutes before a nurse came in to give Bella her shot. Bella turned away, squeezing her eyes shut as the nurse injected the shot into her IV.

"That should only take a few minutes to begin working. You'll notice it start to work when your heart rate speeds up," the nurse advised, before she smiled to us and walked out of the room.

No sooner had the nurse left, then Alice and Jasper came rushing through the same door—as fast as Alice could rush given her size.

"B! Are you OK? How's the baby?" Alice said, rushing to the bed and grabbing Bella's hand.

Bella relayed to her all that the doctor had said, and I made room for Alice to sit on the bed. Alice listened to Bella, and I turned my attention to Jasper, who was hovering near the door.

"Jasper, thanks for coming," I said, holding my hand out to my brother. He shook it and stepped in to give me a one-armed hug. To say I was shocked by his actions didn't come close to how I was feeling.

"Ed, man, I'm sorry. Do you guys need anything?" he asked, concern written on his face.

"I'm sure we'll be OK. Mom and Dad said that they would help us…but thank you," I almost whispered, still surprised by his behavior.

Alice hugged Bella one more time before getting up to stand next to Jasper. I watched as he slid his arms around her. Esme and Carlisle were also watching Alice and Jasper, and Esme turned back to Bella with a small smile on her face.

"We can all help," Esme said, holding out her hand to Bella, who took it somewhat reluctantly.

"Listen, I appreciate all of that, I do, but Edward and I can't ask you—" Bella started, but Carlisle interrupted her.

"Nonsense, young lady. This family sticks together, and we all want to help. Edward can't do everything on his own." He smiled at me, and I nodded in understanding. He wasn't criticizing me, he was just trying to help. I smiled back.

"Thank you," Bella whispered, gazing from Esme to Carlisle, and then back to me. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of you."

~~WLTY~~

A couple hours later, I was helping Bella into bed when she looked up at me. "My heart is still racing…it's seriously scary. It feels like I'm having a heart attack or something."

"I know, the nurse said that was normal. But, just know that it's worth it…it's keeping Merie safe." I leaned down and kissed her softly. Bella's hands crept up to grab my hair as she deepened the kiss. Her tongue slid across my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth to her being careful to not lean on her. "Baby, we can't. The doctor said no sex."

Her big, brown eyes stared into mine, and she licked her lips. "But, I want you."

Groaning, I laid down next to her in the bed. "You have no idea what you do to me to when you say things like that." I could feel my cock hardening at her words. She licked her lips again, placing her hand on the bulge in my pants. "Bella…" I protested, moving her hand. "We can't."

"Edward…" she whispered, leaning in and kissing me again. Her hand went back to my pants, swiftly unbuttoning them and releasing my pulsing cock. Her small hand slid up and down, causing me to shake. "Let's just see how much non-sex we can have…"

BPOV

My need for Edward had been growing for days. He satisfied me as often as he could, and I sometimes wondered if my hormones were too much for him. I think that the scare we had that night, and how wonderful he had been, made me want him even more.

I slid my hand up and down his hard cock, relishing in how it felt. He was so smooth and hard as steel. So warm. Just feeling how much I turned him on was an incredible motivator for me. I couldn't move too much, but I turned his head to the side a little and nibbled on his ear. My hand continued to move up and down. His breath hitched in his throat as my hand sped up.

"Bella…"

I loved hearing him say my name…the breathy way he said it always made me turn to mush. It was beautiful, almost a prayer. I could tell he was getting close because his breath was coming out in short gasps, so I sped up my hand, and pulled my mouth back to his.

His kisses were urgent—hungry. I moaned into his mouth while I sucked on his tongue. Edward pulled away from my mouth, resting his head on my shoulder, gasping. My mouth recaptured his ear as he shuddered and came all over my hand.

"Oh, baby, I love you," he gasped, bringing his mouth back to mine. His kisses weren't as urgent, but they were very soft and tender. "What brought that on?"

I smiled at him, kissing him softly. "I wanted to show you how much I care about you, and that I appreciate everything you do for me."

Edward lifted his head and looked at me. "How much you care about me?" he asked, his voice so low I almost didn't hear him.

I knew what he was getting at, and I still couldn't do anything about it. Plain and simple, I wasn't ready to say it back to him. "Edward, I know what you are asking me, but I'm not ready yet."

His eyes bored into me, and I met them. My feelings for Edward were not complicated, of course I loved him. He was everything to me…and was rapidly becoming even more as he took care of me. Never in my life—since my father—had someone voluntarily taken care of me, and I did love him for that. _Oh, Edward, I'm so sorry, but I just can't say it back to you…I…just can't._

"I won't push you…you know that," he said quietly. "I just don't like the idea of being in a one-sided relationship."

I'm sure that my eyebrows shot up twenty feet at that comment. _He thinks that I don't care for him at all? He thinks he's in a one-sided relationship?!_

"Edward, you don't really think that, do you?"

"I don't know, Bella, it seems like that sometimes." He sighed, standing up from the bed. He walked over to the dresser and changed his clothes. "Do you want to wear your nightgown?"

"No, just help me out of my jeans and I should be fine." Words struggled to come out of my mouth, I was so shocked. I thought that I had given him plenty of clues as to how I truly felt for him, but I guess I didn't do a good job. _Is this really all just because I won't say those three little words?_

After Edward helped me undress, he wandered through the house turning off lights and locking the front door. Soon, he was crawling into bed and wrapping his arms around me from behind.

"I know that you don't talk about your feelings because you are being cautious…that you don't like to share too much of yourself with others," Edward whispered into my hair. My breathing caught in my throat. _What would I do if he left me?_ "I wish you could trust me enough to be honest with me. Do you realize, Bella, that you and the baby are my entire world now? But that doesn't really matter right now. What matters, is that you are still putting that wall up…you are still shutting me out. Listen, I need to know if you could _ever_ love me…I need to know if you don't see it as a possibility. I…I need to know."

Slowly I shifted so that I was facing him. My fear of abandonment gone for the moment, being replaced by anger at his words. "I may not be able to say the words yet, but you should know in everything I do and say. I can't believe that you would ask me that! How can I not?"

"Sometimes, just being able to say the words can be freeing. Do you really feel that way for me?" His eyes were silently pleading, and my anger died away. I could tell he was genuinely worried about my feelings. There had been more than a few relationships I had been in where I had cared for them way more than they cared for me, so I knew just what he was talking about.

"Of course I do."

"OK, that's all I need for now." He leaned in and kissed me, before crawling out of bed.

"Where are you going?" I asked, puzzled.

"I'm too keyed up for bed right now. I'm going to go read for a while."

Disappointment flooded through me. "You don't want to go to sleep with me?"

"Not tonight, beautiful. I'll be here in an hour or so. Get some rest, and call for me if you need anything. OK?" I studied his face for a second to see just how hurt he was. Edward was quite apt at putting his own wall up.

"OK," I whispered. He kissed me one more time and then walked out of the room. Tears slid down my cheeks as I curled up and waited for sleep to take me.

**A/N: So, what do you think? I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as humanly possible!**


	29. Chapter 29 Comfort

**A/N: Hi all! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. This is the one that most of you have been waiting for, the full answer to Jasper's sudden changes. I did a lot of research for this, but even having said that if I get anything wrong I apologize.**

**My true and faithful beta's, helping me out with everything you read: torisurfergirl and starpower31 – boy, what would I do without you two?**

**See you at the bottom!**

Chapter 29 – Comfort

"Friendship needs no words - it is solitude delivered from the anguish of loneliness."

Dag Hammarskjold

APOV

I was no stranger to loneliness. My need for human companionship had been long gone now, having spent most of my life alone. The only problem being that I was used to Jasper being around now, so when he texted me today saying that our normal Friday evening together was to be cancelled, I was depressed. Since we began our sexual relationship, he had been over almost daily. To say I was disappointed that he wasn't coming over was an extreme understatement.

I was watching a movie—which I wasn't really paying attention to—when Bella texted me.

_:You wanna come over? I'm bored :(:_

For the last week, since Bella had been put on bed rest, Edward had been taking care of her. Knowing Bella as well as I did, I knew that she wouldn't be happy just sitting all day long. She was someone who needed to have something to do.

I texted her back letting her know I'd leave in about twenty minutes. Walking around my apartment, I picked up three books in a series that I knew Bella hadn't read yet. Hopefully, that would give her something more to do.

About a half an hour later, I was knocking on Bella and Edward's door.

"Come in!" I heard Bella yell. Walking in, I set my purse and books on her table, and then planted myself in the chair next to where she was sitting.

"How are you?" Bella asked me, sipping on her water.

"OK, I guess. How are you? Where's Edward?"

"He's out with his parents tonight…guess Esme and Carlisle wanted him to have a breather. He's been, uh, stressed lately." She averted her eyes, concentrating instead on her water bottle.

"What's going on?"

Bella sighed and shifted slightly so she could look me right in the eye. "Edward is upset with me because I haven't used the "L" word yet."

Unsure of exactly what to say, I asked, "Bella, _do_ you love him?"

"Of course I do!" she said, without even a second of hesitation.

"Then why haven't you told him?" I questioned gently. Since I didn't want to push her too much, I was treading lightly. However, I knew that she needed to be pushed a little.

"Well, because it's just words! They don't mean anything…at least, not as much as actions do. I show Edward every day how much I love him. Why isn't that enough for him?"

"Bullshit."

She looked at me with wide eyes. "What?"

"That's bullshit reasoning, and you know it! Edward has had his entire life change since he met you…he had to get rid of most of his stuff when he moved in because your apartment was already full. He moved farther away from his work and his parents…all for you! He's having a baby, taking care of you while you are on bed rest…and you give me that line of crap? Are you kidding?"

She sniffed, not meeting my eyes. "My life has changed too."

I threw up my hands in exasperation. "Of course it has! But, what you forget is that he doesn't feel the baby move…he has no physical response to the changes other than what I already mentioned." I leaned closer to her, forcing her to look at me. "If you love him, then tell him!"

The shield came up, I could see it. I had hit a nerve. "What about you and Jasper? Have you told him how you feel about him?"

"That's totally different, and you know it."

"How is it different? You two have been inseparable for a while now, he's over at your house all the time, he buys you groceries!"

"And we are sleeping together…"I said quietly.

"What!?" Bella said up straighter and looked at me. "For how long?"

"Since my sonogram." My phone chirped, indicating a new text. I got up and walked over to the table, pulling my phone out of my purse.

_:Where are you?: _It was Jasper.

"Speak of the devil," I said.

_:At a friends house:_ I smiled…he didn't need to know where I was all the time.

_:Which friend?: _I shook my head. He was being demanding tonight.

_:Don't worry bout it :):_

"I think I just made him mad," I snickered. _Serves him right for standing me up tonight_. Bella looked at me questioningly, so I told her what he had said.

"Oh, I hope he doesn't get mad. Jasper mad is scary…you should know that!" Bella snickered also.

Turning my phone off, I chucked it back into my purse before returning to the chair. "So, when's Edward due back?"

She shrugged, her face a mask again. "I don't know…Esme said they wouldn't keep him for long."

"How are things going with him?"

"Strained, to put it mildly. He doesn't go to bed when I do…at least not for the last week. He stays up, and I usually don't hear him come to bed. Then he's up so early that I barely have time to register that he's in the bed with me at all. He helps me to the living room, gives me breakfast and leaves for work. Either Esme or Carlisle stops by to give me lunch and help me to the bathroom. After work Edward comes home, cooks dinner, cleans up and works until I get sleepy, then he puts me in bed." She sighed. "I'm afraid he's getting over me."

"Getting over you?"

"Yeah, losing interest…whatever."

"B…"

"Listen, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Tell me about you and Jasper? Why aren't you with him tonight?"

"He texted me earlier and cancelled our normal date. He was weird today…couldn't put my finger on it, but he was definitely weird."

"Weird how?"

Before I could answer, Edward walked in the door, shutting it softly. He glanced over at us and smiled, coming over to sit next to Bella. He picked up her feet and placed them in his lap.

"How are my girls tonight?" he said, looking at Bella and leaning down to kiss her stomach. "And, Alice, how are you?"

Bella smiled back at Edward, and I shrugged…I didn't really want to get into Jasper too much with Edward. Regardless of how little they talked, since Bella anyway, Jasper was still Edward's brother. I slipped out of my seat and wandered into the kitchen, giving Edward and Bella privacy. Unfortunately, I could still hear every word.

"I'm so sorry, baby. I have been acting like an ass. I should have never tried to force you to say words you don't want to say…trust me when I tell you that's not an issue. Don't say anything until _you_ are comfortable…and when you _want_ to. OK?" Edward said.

"Edward, I'm so sorry!" Bella said, starting to cry. "I swear that I'm not trying to hurt you! It's just, well, I've only said that word to one other person in my entire life, and I lost him. I'm…I'm just not ready."

"It's OK, really it is. I know how you feel about me, and you know I love you. That's all that matters."

"'Kay."

Leaning against the counter in the kitchen, I felt my own tears slide down my face. I knew that they had problems, but Edward seemed to always say the most perfect things. Unfortunately, my brain wouldn't let me forget how Jasper handled problems—which was never good.

I stayed in the kitchen for a while, not ready to face the happy couple. It seemed that I was always avoiding their moments together. Deep down, I knew that I avoided them because I was jealous. Jealous because I felt Edward was taking away my best friend, and jealous because I wanted what they had. Intellectually, I knew I was being stupid, but I couldn't change my feelings.

Edward walked into the kitchen to find me a sobbing mess. Apparently, I had stayed in there too long, and they had been wondering what I was doing. Swiftly, he walked over to me and placed his hand on my arm.

"Alice, what's wrong?" His eyes were full of concern.

"I-I-I…I just want what you two have…and-and-and…"I knew I wasn't making sense, but I just couldn't turn off the tears.

Without comment, Edward helped me into the living room and deposited me next to Bella. She wound her arms around me and just let me cry. I almost jumped when someone knocked at the door.

Edward walked to the door and opened it, revealing a very angry looking Jasper. "Is she here?" he said, walking into the apartment. He spotted me on the couch and tried to get to me, but Edward held him off. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?! I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Jazz, calm down. She came over to keep Bella company," Edward said quietly, still holding Jasper back.

"She didn't have to turn her phone off!" Jasper yelled. "Ali, why didn't you just tell me that you were here? I've been worried."

"Jazz, lower your voice. You'll upset Alice," Bella said, glaring at Jasper.

"I want to know why the hell she didn't tell me that she was here!" Jasper shouted, pushing Edward away. He took a step closer to the couch, but Edward stopped him.

"That's enough!" His normally calm voice was almost a howl of rage. He grabbed Jasper and shoved him toward the baby's room.

The tears were pouring out of my eyes as I heard the bedroom door slam shut.

EPOV

I shoved Jasper into the wall opposite to the door. His back connected with the wall, and he sprang back quickly and swung at me. He was slower than normal, so I was able to avoid the hit. I grabbed his arms and restrained him.

"You better start talking, and fast. I want to know what the fuck is going on with you, and why you think you can come into my home and act like this," I whispered to him, not loosening my grasp.

Jasper was silent for a moment before I felt his body sag. I released him, and he fell to the floor, landing on his knees. "I…can't…handle this."

"Jazz," I said, kneeling beside him. "What the hell is going on?"

"I'm out of my medication."

"What?"

"My medication, it's over. I took my last one yesterday, and I think I'm coming down off of it. The pharmacy won't have my script ready until tomorrow," he said, all in one breath.

"Medication? Jasper, why are you on medication?"

"I was diagnosed with elevated testosterone a couple months ago. That's why I've been so aggressive…it causes you to have greater strength, no fear in social situations and an enormous sex drive. I've been on medication since…I feel normal when I'm on it, and I can't handle not being medicated now!" Jasper stood up and started pacing around the room. "My head is spinning…I can't think straight."

"Jazz, calm down. Let me get you home and in bed. Sleep as much as you can until you can get your medication tomorrow." I tried reasoning with him, but to be honest, I just wanted him out of my house and nowhere near Bella.

"Ed, I can't! I can't sit still! Can you come home with me? Keep me company and make sure I don't do anything to fuck up my life even more?"

Shaking my head, I took a step closer to him. "Bella is confined to her bed…I can't leave her alone for the whole night. She's pregnant, for God's sake, Jazz. She has to go to the bathroom multiple times during the night and I have to help her."

"Then can I stay here tonight?" His eyes were big, and I couldn't refuse him.

"Let me just speak to Bella real quick. OK?"

"OK."

I opened the door slowly and closed it behind me. Bella was sitting on the couch alone, and Alice was nowhere in sight. "Where is Alice?"

Bella sighed, biting her lip. "She didn't want to be here when you and Jasper were done. She was a mess but assured me that she would be fine to drive home. What's going on?"

"It's a long story, but Jasper needs to stay here tonight." I was not willing to share too much of his personal issue with Bella, somehow it didn't seem right. "He's my brother, baby, I can't say no."

"OK…promise that someone will tell me what's actually going on, though, right?"

I turned slowly to see Jasper coming out of the baby's room. "Alice left?" When both Bella and I nodded, he said, "I need to talk to her…explain…"

"Tomorrow, Jazz."

"OK…I guess I can wait. I hope she isn't mad." Jasper looked at Bella and I, his eyes desperate. "Please, don't say anything to her about what I told you, Ed! I need to explain this to her on my own."

Bella looked at me, her eyebrows raised. "Jasper, I need to know what's going on here. And, I promise not to say anything to Ali, but _only_ if you promise me that you will tell her tomorrow."

Walking over to the chair in the living room, Jasper sat down and nodded. He explained about his diagnosis, and that he was out of medication. As he was explaining, I saw Bella's eyes widen and look to me for confirmation. "So, now, I bet Alice is pissed."

"Jasper, if you and Ali are really working on building a relationship, then why didn't you tell her before?" Bella asked, looking at Jasper.

"Honestly, Bells, I don't know…I think I was embarrassed and didn't want her to know about it."

I blanched a little when he called her "Bells." It was his nickname for her when they were dating. _You'd think after all these months, that wouldn't bother me anymore. _"Jazz, you promise you'll tell her tomorrow, right?" I questioned him.

"Yes. I promise…"

"OK, then let's all head to bed. You can talk to Alice in the morning," I said, leaning over to pick Bella up to take her to bed.

**A/N: I hope that explains Jasper's quick about face. Once he started the medication, he was able to begin feeling things for Alice that may have never happened before. Sometimes seeing a counselor can make all the difference.**

**Now, a bit of sad news…there are more chapters behind than there are ahead. I officially finished writing this story. We have 34 chapters and one outtake. I will write an epi if necessary (if my beta's think it's necessary, or if you all just want it!). So, we are on the downward side of the story and, it feels like, still so much left to cover!**

**Thank you for joining me, my friends. I'll post the next chapter as soon as possible!**


	30. Chapter 30 Explanations

**A/N: Here it is…the chapter where Alice gets her explanations. I hope it lives up to your wishes!**

**Thanks to my wonderful beta's, torisurfergirl and starpower31, for helping me through this story. I'm sad that it's coming to a close, but I have enjoyed working with you two!**

**I KNOW I'm posting this SUPER early…but today is my birthday, and the only 12/12/12 I'll ever see…so, since I'm in a FANTASTIC mood this morning, I decided to give you guys this chapter early! Enjoy the day, cherish each moment of your life….and hopefully this day is luck for all of you! (side note, 12 is my lucky number!)**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 30 – Explanations

"I think you can have 10,000 explanations for failure, but no good explanation for success."

Paulo Coelho

APOV

I made my way home, half expecting Jasper to show up at some point during the night…but he didn't. In order to clear my head, I ended up sitting on my patio just staring at the stars. There was a chill in the air that was normal for Reno at this time of year, so I grabbed a blanket off my couch, sat back, and enjoyed the sky.

As I sat there, I was thinking about my fledgling relationship with Jasper. Ever so often he would have terrible mood swings that would end with us fighting and me crying after he left. But, outside of those instances, he was very sweet and very tender. Making love to him was amazing and set my whole body on fire…but that wasn't everything.

One thing that was missing was talking. We chatted about this and that, but never about anything that was really important. He didn't know why Bella was my emergency contact, or why I didn't have any parents to call after the babies were born. And I didn't know why he had that lightning tattoo and what it meant. In order to actually make this relationship work, I was going to have to force him into having an all-revealing conversation with me. Then, and only then, could we see if we were compatible.

Pretty soon, the chill in the air was just too much for me. I walked inside, throwing the blanket on the couch, and glanced up at the clock. I was shocked to see that it was almost two in the morning.

My bed seemed very warm compared to the rest of the apartment, so it didn't take me long to fall asleep. It didn't seem that I was sleeping for that long when I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

"Who…what?" I muttered, still not quite awake. My alarm clock said it was almost eleven, but I must have been sleeping so hard that I had slept most of the morning away. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Ali. I need to talk to you," Jasper said, still on the other side of the door. I had almost forgotten that I had given him a key a month or so ago so that he could bring baby furniture in whenever he wanted.

Getting up slowly, I walked to my bedroom door and opened it a little. "I think we have a lot to talk about, Jasper, but I just woke up. Let me go to the bathroom, and I'll be right out. OK?"

"Sure, Ali. Want me to make some coffee?"

"I'll love you forever if you do!" I said cheerfully, before I realized what I had actually said. "Oh, Jazz, I didn't mean it like that."

He chuckled. "I know. I'll go make some coffee."

About ten minutes later, I walked into the kitchen to the welcome smell of coffee. I had taken the opportunity to change clothes, dab on some lip balm and fix my messy hair.

"What are you in the mood for today? French vanilla, Irish Cream or blueberry muffin?" Jasper asked, standing in front of the refrigerator.

"Blueberry muffin?"

"Yeah, I saw it at the store this morning and grabbed it. I know you like to try different creamers."

"Uh, French vanilla this morning, please. I'll have to think about blueberry muffin…" Laughing, I walked over to the coffee pot. Jasper had grabbed my favorite mug from the dishwasher and placed it next to the coffee. He walked over and added some creamer to the cup and then poured some coffee for me.

"You ready to talk now?" he asked, after placing the creamer back in the refrigerator.

"Yes, let's sit down in the living room. The kitchen chairs are pretty uncomfortable for me right now." I waddled into the living room and carefully sat down on the couch. Jasper followed and sat next to me on the couch, sporting his own coffee mug.

"First of all, I want to apologize for the way I acted yesterday. There are things that you don't know yet, and I hope that after I explain you won't hate me too much for yesterday." He took a deep breath before continuing, "I told you about seeing a therapist…because my dad insisted. Well, I don't see her very often anymore, only about once a month or so…I don't really need to anymore. I just see her to get a refill for my medication."

"Medication?"

"Yes. What I didn't tell you is that by my second appointment with her she had diagnosed me with having too much testosterone in my system. She gave me a prescription that day, and by the next appointment, I was feeling much better. I felt normal…no more anger." He paused, looking at his hands. "Those fights we have…and yesterday, too…that all happens when I'm off my medication. Mostly, I just forget to take it. But, I ran out of it on Thursday night. I went to the pharmacy to get more, and they said that it wouldn't be ready until this morning.

"At first, I tried to avoid you for the day so that I wouldn't fight with you. But, I just couldn't control my anger when you wouldn't tell me where you were. I…fuck, I'm sorry, Ali. I stayed at Edward and Bella's last night, and this morning I had a long talk with them. I understand now that we can't have a good relationship until we are honest with each other."

Leaning forward a little, I captured his hand that he was staring at. He looked up at me, smiling. "It's frustrating when the king and queen of relationships tell you something and it turns out to be right!" Jasper joked, chuckling a little bit. I laughed with him.

"So, I have to ask, why didn't you tell me about the medication and the diagnosis earlier?"

"Honestly, I was really embarrassed that I had to take a medication in order to be normal. I didn't want you to make fun of me or something." He looked a little sheepish at that comment.

Rolling my eyes, I move a hand to my belly to try and dislodge one of the baby's legs from my rib cage. "As if I would make fun of you for making your life better. Listen, Jazz, in just a couple months—if that— we will have two children to be responsible for, and take care of, we can't keep acting like this. I can't handle this! You should have told me all of this before we started a relationship…hell, any time after would have been fine also!"

"Ali…"

"No, you need to listen to me. Because there are a couple of questions that I need answered before we can continue with our relationship. OK?"

Jasper nodded, still holding my hand. His fingers tightened slightly and his smile seemed more grim than happy.

"First of all, I want to know exactly what's going on here. Do you really care about _me_ and want an actual relationship? Or are you just here for your kids and to get a lousy fuck every now and then?" I pursed my lips together, waiting for his reaction. Clearly, he was on his medication today because the anger that I feared didn't show in his eyes; there was only shock.

"No, Ali, no! When I'm on the medication there are times when I think I'm falling in love with you! That's when my thinking is perfectly clear…the babies are honestly just a side factor in this. You are everything that I never knew that I always wanted…and needed."

My head was spinning at his words, and not just trying to figure out exactly what that last sentence meant. He actually said that he was falling in love with me…I wanted to curl in on myself and smile and cry at the same time. "Jazz, what do you think about the babies?"

"What do you mean?"

"Hmm. Let me rephrase…how do you _feel_ about the babies?"

"Oh, um, well I'm scared as hell to be frank. I have no idea how to handle one baby, let alone two. This is really terrifying. But, I'm excited…honestly, I am. Ali," he said, leaning closer to me. "I'm mostly excited about doing this with you."

His breath on my face made me dizzy, as it usually does, and I almost backed away. The problem was that I enjoyed it so much. "Boy, you are a totally different person off the medication!" I joked.

His face grew serious again, and he pulled his hand away. "Yes, I know. Ed was explaining to me how I sounded yesterday. I-I can't say I'm sorry enough."

To his amazement, I laughed. "We're past that now. Let's move on and see where we end up. 'Kay?"

Jasper's face lit up as he leaned forward again, murmuring next to my lips, "I'm excited to find that out myself."

Once his lips touched mine, I was in heaven…and everything else faded away.

~~WLTY~~

_Five Weeks Later_

BPOV

Bored. Literally, that's all I can think of right now, how bored I am. I have watched everything that I can on Netflix, read every book that I own — and some that Alice or Esme brought over— and I have watched enough daytime television to know that I hate it. My boredom has reached a critical mass, and if I weren't afraid for the baby, I would be getting up and moving around.

Alice texted me quite often. She told me about the gossip at work, the changes in Jasper, the way the babies seem to be kicking each other instead of her now, and how scared she is of giving birth. I knew that she wouldn't be able to carry them as far as I was going to carry Esmerie, since she is so little and she just couldn't get much bigger, but I still worried about them being born premature.

I really was happy for her though. Since Jasper's big confession, things seemed to be going really well. Alice told me that she was considering asking Jasper to move in but wasn't sure she could accommodate his furniture.

"_What do you mean accommodate his furniture? Have you seen his place?" I questioned one day when she had called me after work._

"_Oh, yes, he owns this little condo in northwest Reno. We stay at his place quite often, actually. It's closer to the hospital that I'm delivering at, so Jazz thinks it's safer to have me at his place."_

_Shocked, I tried to absorb everything she was telling me. When Jasper and I had been dating, I had never seen his apartment; he was always at mine. "That's great, Ali. Do you think he would sell his place?"_

"_Oh, no, and I don't want him to. I'm thinking about just asking if he wants to move in together, and we can move into his place. Did I tell you he emptied a room for the babies?" Alice sounded like herself again; she was chipper and just all around happy._

When Jasper remembered to take his medicine, it seemed like he was almost too perfect. Of course, I knew all about too perfect…

"Hey, baby, what are you up to?" Edward said in a gentle tone from behind me, breaking me out of my depression.

"The usual. Nothing," I said, turning to see the most beautiful man in the world. "But I'm much happier now that you are home. Can you take me to the bathroom?"

Edward laughed his beautiful laugh and helped me up. My body was getting much bigger; there was the baby fat, but there was also the fact that I couldn't exercise anymore. For a moment, I wondered if Edward had a problem with my size.

"How was your day, beautiful?" he would ask me every day when he got home. He would kiss my stomach and tell our daughter how much he loved her. Then he would kiss me and tell me how much he loved me and how he had missed me. _Maybe I'm the one that has a problem with my weight._

"So, you are bored again? What can I do to help?" Edward asked as he helped me back to the couch.

Sighing, I leaned my back against the side of the couch. "Nothing, I guess. I hate watching day time TV, I've watched just about everything on Netflix, and I'm totally out of books to read."

"Well, I have two things to tell you that should help."

I lifted my head and looked at him. He was smiling that crooked smile that I loved and had a twinkle in his eye. "What?"

"OK, three actually. The first is that it's Friday night, so you have me at your beck and call for the next two days," he whispered, leaning in to kiss me again. "Second, you only have two weeks until you stop taking the medication and we get this show on the road. And third…" He stood up quickly, grabbing a shopping bag that was sitting on the ground next to the front door. Sitting down on the coffee table opposite me, he handed me the bag. "I picked up that new vampire book that's all the rage. I thought you might enjoy reading it."

I squealed and reached my arms up, hugging and kissing him. "I've been wanting to read that book! Everyone is giving it rave reviews! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Edward hugged me back, chuckling. "Thank Alice. She was the one who told me I should buy it for you."

Pulling back, I looked at him, still smiling. "Did you see Alice today?"

He nodded, extracting himself from my arms and sitting back on the couch. He lifted up my feet, set them on his lap and started rubbing them. "Yeah, I ran into her and Jazz at the pizza place you love. They were having dinner, so I stopped and chatted with them. She mentioned that you two were talking about this book, and she recommended that I get it for you. So, after I grabbed the pizza, I stopped by Barnes and Noble and got it."

"How did she look? I feel like I haven't seen her in forever."

"Well, she seemed happy…I don't know, she seemed like Alice. Jasper seemed happy also, so I guess that's a good thing." Edward shrugged, still rubbing my feet.

"OK, so wait…let me get this straight. We have pizza?"

Edward tilted his head back and laughed, standing up he walked into the kitchen. After a moment, he walked back with a couple slices of pizza on a plate, and a cold water bottle. "Your dinner is served, my lady."

My heart melted at the site of the pizza. "Mushroom and black olive…my favorite. Thank you."

"Hey, I remember stuff now and then!" He laughed again, settling down on the couch again. "You've only had me pick up that pizza once or twice a week for the last three months!"

We were laughing when my phone rang. I checked my caller ID before answering.

"Hi, Jasper. What's up?"

"Bells, it's Alice. Her water just broke. I'm taking her to the hospital."

**A/N: Oh, come on! Aren't you guys used to my cliffies by now? HAHAHA…I promise to update soon!**


	31. Chapter 31 Moving Right Along

**A/N: This chapter is appropriately named…because we are moving right along! Here it is…the moment you've been waiting for (one of them anyway). This birth was very similar to a friend of mine who had twins. I wanted to keep the birth stories as close to non-fiction as I could. I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Eeek! We don't have that many more chapters to go! I'd be a fool if I didn't thank torisurfergirl and starpower31 for all of their help. Thanks girls! I can't believe this ride is almost over!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 31 – Moving Right Along

"The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see."

Winston Churchill

APOV

Pure bliss. That was my life these days. Jasper gave me control of his medication and that way he never ran out and never missed a day, and so we never fought. After two full weeks of this, I could really tell what had caused problems before. It was an interesting thing to have the man I love—yes, I was starting to love him—have his life dictated by mood-altering medication. But because I was making sure that he never missed a dose, our lives just sort of fell into place.

The biggest step was when he invited me over to his condo for dinner. I was so shocked that I forgot to answer him, he had to ask me again. When I got there, Jasper opened the door to the lap of luxury. His condo was colored in tans with a dark brown accent wall. There were pictures and sculptures on the walls, with leather couches. Honestly, I was dumbfounded by the beauty of this place.

"Actually, my mom decorated it for me…I, er, can't really take the credit for it." Jasper laughed.

He had taken my hand and shown me to the room he had set aside for the babies. There was very little furniture in it, but it was painted with a deep blue on one-half of the room, and a rainbow for the other half, making it look like the sky. It was breathtaking.

By the time we got to his room, my heart had been racing. His place was twice the size of my apartment; it was two stories and amazing.

"OK, um, this is my room," Jasper said, leading me through the door.

The tan from the living room was totally forgotten. There was a huge, dark wood four-poster bed with dark blues, blacks and whites coloring it. The furniture all matched the bed, but there were two dressers that were almost mismatched. The smaller one worked perfectly with the room, the other one was just a little off. It was beyond what I had expected his room to be like.

Gazing up at Jasper, I tried to control my emotions. "Jazz, this is beautiful!"

Looking almost embarrassed, he'd led me over to the bigger of the two dressers. "This one is yours."

I shook my head in confusion. "What?"

"This is the one I want you to leave things in so that we can hang out at my house more. It's literally five minutes to the hospital from here, and when you go into labor every second counts."

I rolled my eyes. "The babies won't come out in a ten minute drive to the hospital."

"I'm just being cautious. I was hoping that you would agree to stay with me for the last month, and then again for a couple weeks after they are born. We can bring some clothes over, and I have a bassinet. It's the only baby furniture I got, because I assumed most of the time they would be at your place." Jasper sat down on the bed, pulling me close to him. "I just want you nearby so I can protect you…be there for you when it's time."

Again with the melting my heart. "Cullen, you are good." I angled my head down so that I could kiss him. Jasper slid down the bed and helped me climb on top of it. Given the size of my belly, we weren't able to make love the traditional way.

Jasper made short work of releasing my clothes then he slipped in behind me. His hands massaged my breasts, while he sucked on my ear. Reaching back, I guided him into me from behind. His body shook a little as he entered me. Propping my leg up on his, I pushed back silently begging for him to enter me harder. He complied, pushing forward harder and harder until my breath was catching in my throat. His hand moved from my breast to circle my clit, which sent me over the edge.

He began to move slower as I came down from my orgasm. His hand slowed until my breathing was normal, then he began moving it again. The thrusting resumed its tempo as well, which made the ache in my stomach and chest a little tighter.

"Ali…" he whispered, kissing down my neck. That helped push me over the edge again, coming all over his hand. Once my body had calmed down again, he threaded his fingers with mine pulling me closer to him continuing to thrust into me. After another moment, he thrust one last time, grunting softly in my ear.

Once we were disconnected, Jasper put his arms around me, holding me close. He continued to kiss my neck and my ear, while his hand massaged my belly. "Say you'll stay with me for a while."

"Besides the fact that you live closer to the hospital, why do you want me to stay, Jazz?" I was fishing, and I knew it…hell, he probably knew it. There were a certain set of words that I needed to hear in order for me to make my decision.

"Ali, I want you with me. With you and the babies here, my apartment might just start feeling like home for once."

Those weren't exactly the words I was looking for, but it was close enough. Needless to say, I was staying at his house during the week and my house on the weekends. We were together every night. I could tell that we were growing closer, now that all of the truths were out. My truths were harder to say than I had imagined, but he handled those with a grace that I hadn't expected.

"OK, so that's why Bella is listed as your next of kin? Because your aunt and uncle weren't comfortable having that? Are they still alive and living in Washington?" Jasper asked.

"Yes, they are. They weren't really like parents, more like friends who I lived with. They never set boundaries, or rules, for me. We all worked together to put food on the table, but they were definitely not parents for me. And, since I was an only child, when I moved out of their house I was on my own."

"Well, it's a good thing that we met then, huh? Now you have a family."

Yes, everything was definitely falling into place.

Jasper and I were having pizza Friday night when we saw Edward come in. I motioned to him, after he had made his order, and he came over sliding into the booth next to Jasper.

"Well, hello you two. How goes it?"

"Can't complain," Jasper said, winking at me.

"Well I can!" I laughed. "I'm huge! Getting in and out of my car is a fiasco that I wouldn't wish on anyone!"

"When do you go out on maternity leave?" Edward asked.

"I don't have anything planned yet. I only get six weeks after the babies are born, and nothing before unless the doctor takes me out. I saw him earlier in the week, and he said I was fine to keep working. Since I'm carrying twins, he said that I will probably deliver early anyway."

"Yeah, and he made Ali get a steroid shot also. To help boost the twins' lung development, since that early delivery is pretty much a given," Jasper added. Then turning to Edward, he asked, "How's Bella doing?"

Edward sighed, looking tired all of a sudden. "She's completely bored. She has very little to do and is just praying for the end of this pregnancy."

"Edward, go pick up that new vampire book. She'd love it!" I suggested, knowing that Bella and I had discussed it. I told him the name, and he thanked me. His order was called shortly after that, and he stood up to leave.

"Have a good evening, guys," he said, waving good-bye.

After we were done eating, Jasper took me back to his place for the night. We were headed to my place the following morning, but I had left my book there the night before and I wanted to get it. Jasper didn't see the need to leave since we were already there.

We made love fast and furious, as per our usual, and after we were cuddling and talking.

"Jazz?"

"Hmm?" He nuzzled my neck.

"What do you think about moving in together?" I bit my lip, channeling Bella's move, in anticipation for his response. I wasn't expecting him to laugh.

"That's a great idea, Ali! We can move all the baby stuff into the spare room here. You want to move in here, right?"

"That would be better, since you own and I don't. Your baby room is much prettier anyway!" I laughed also. Shifting so I could look at him, I questioned, "Do you want me to move in?"

"Of course I do, we spend every night together anyway, and it would be wonderful to have you and our babies here every night." Jasper kissed me softly. "How soon?"

My head was spinning, which was normal after he kisses me. "How soon, what?"

"How soon do you want to move in?"

"Well, my lease isn't up for another two months. I had to sign a six month lease when I moved into the two bedroom."

"Break it."

"I'll have to pay to break it! I can't do that!"

"Ali, sweetheart, let me pay it. The sooner the better." My heart melted at the term of endearment he used. He had never called me that before.

"Jasper…OK, let's do it. The sooner the better. But, before we move in together, I have to tell you something."

Sliding away from him, I stood up and wrapped my robe around myself. He stayed on the bed, lifting up on one elbow to look at me.

"I don't want there to be any misunderstandings here. And, this is something I've been wanting to tell you anyway…"

"Ali, what? You're killing me here!" Jasper said, smiling at me.

"Jasper…" I took a deep breath. Now was the perfect time to say this, even if it meant giving away a piece of myself. "I'm in love with you."

POP. Water gushed from between my legs, pooling on the floor. Jasper's eyes grew wide, whether about the statement I just said or the fact that my water had just broken, I wasn't sure. He jumped out of bed and came over to me, encasing me in his arms.

"Oh, Ali…I love you, too," he whispered, kissing me lightly. "Now, let's get you to the hospital. It's baby time!"

EPOV

"Bella, be reasonable! You are still on bed rest…you can't go to the hospital! There is too much walking involved. Think of the baby!"

She was up and off the couch, grabbing stuff and putting it into her purse. "Edward, she is my best friend, and the only person who has got me through everything in my life for the last ten years almost. I have to be there for her!"

"Baby, please listen to me. As hard as it is for you, this time is for her and Jasper. They are happy together, and these are their babies! Give them this time alone." I knew bringing that up would help my case. Taking her to the hospital just didn't seem like a good option, given her being on bed rest.

Her shoulders slouched a little, acknowledging that I had a point. "OK, you are right. But, as soon as the babies are born, I want to go to the hospital and see them!"

"Bella…" I warned.

"No, I will not back down on this. Put me in a wheel chair, I don't care, but I have to see those babies."

Backing down, I reach over and guided her back to the couch. I picked up my phone and dialed my mother's cell phone.

"Hi, Edward!" my mother said with a very excited voice. "Did you hear Alice is in labor?"

"Yes, I was just going to ask you if you and dad were headed to the hospital?"

"Yes, we are. Jasper asked us to come and help Alice, just in case he can't," Esme said, sounding rushed and happy at the same time. "I am just throwing a few things in my bag and heading over there."

"OK, good, that will help Bella feel better"—Bella glared at me—"We are staying here until after the babies are born. Can you make sure Alice knows why? That I just can't risk Bella going into labor also?"

"Oh, of course, dear. I'll pass along your and Bella's love to her and Jazzy, and make sure they know why you aren't there."

"Thanks, Mom." I hung up the phone and turned back to Bella. "Esme's going to pass along to Alice. She won't wonder why you aren't there, and everything will be just fine. Once the babies are born, I'll take you to the hospital to see them…in a wheelchair. Deal?"

Sighing in defeat, she nodded. "OK, fine, I guess."

"OK, beautiful, let's eat now. You need to build up your strength. That's going to be you in a couple weeks!"

"'Kay." She took a small bite of her pizza, holding the piece in her mouth and not chewing.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm scared about labor," Bella admitted, lowering her eyes a little. "It's supposed to be very painful, and I'm a little scared about that."

"You don't have to worry about that, I will be there every step of the way, and I will insist that they give you that epidural as soon as possible." I kissed her softly, and put the pizza back up to her mouth. "Now, eat. Soon enough you will get to see Alice and the babies."

~~WLTY~~

A short day and a half later, I was wheeling Bella up to the Labor and Delivery ward of St. Mary's so that she could meet Alice and Jasper's new babies. They were born two minutes apart, perfectly healthy, if not terribly small. The boy weighed in at four pounds ten ounces, while the girl weight in at only four pounds.

Jasper informed us that since Alice had the steroid shot, the lung development for the babies was farther along and they were breathing on their own. They were too small to nurse yet, but Alice was pumping and feeding them through a tiny bottle. He also told us that they should be OK to come home in about a week.

Labor went well for Alice. She decided to try giving birth naturally, and she was able to do just that. Both babies were born without any assistance, and all three of them were healthy.

We got to Alice's room just as Esme and Carlisle were leaving. Esme ran up to hug both Bella and myself; I could see tears in her eyes.

"Oh, they are just beautiful! Wait till you see them!" Esme gushed.

Carlisle looked just as happy as Esme sounded; he hugged us both as well. "You're next, sweetheart," he whispered into Bella's ear. She smiled up at him and waved as they walked away.

"Bella?" We heard from inside the room. Clearly, Alice had heard Carlisle. "Come in!"

I wheeled Bella into the room, and over to the bed where Alice was laying down. She was holding a very tiny bundle that had a tuft of blonde hair on its head. Jasper was sitting down in the chair next to the bed, holding another bundle with lots of brown hair.

"Bella, Edward, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Isabella Lily Cullen," Alice said, holding out the tiny bundle in her arms. Bella looked up at Alice, tears in her eyes, and reach out to take the baby.

"You named her after me? That was your girl name?" Bella asked, choked up with emotion.

Alice nodded, her own tears escaping and sliding down her cheeks. "And after my mother, Lily. It was perfect…that's why Jasper didn't fight me on it!"

"Ed," Jasper said, walking slowly over to me. "Meet my son, Anthony Carlisle Cullen."

Taking the baby from him, I marveled at how small he was. I looked up at Jasper. "Nice! I love that you gave the baby your middle name! And what made you think of giving him my middle name?"

"Well, Bella was a part of the girl name, and Alice and I just couldn't agree on the boy's name. Somehow, when discussing adding my middle name in there we got stuck on middle names, and yours came up. Immediately, we knew that was the name."

"Ali, she is just perfect! Look at that blond hair! Jasper, she looks just like you!" Bella gushed, leaning down to kiss the baby. "Hi, Isabella. I'm your Aunt Bella."

"Actually, in order to keep things sane around the holidays, we are going to call her Isa. Isa and Tony," Jasper said, holding his arms out to take Isa away from Bella. "Don't worry, I'm only taking her so that you can hold Tony. We have to shuffle them a little."

"How are they doing, health wise?" I asked, handing Tony to Bella and then taking Isa from Jasper.

"Great, actually. We thought that they might have to stay in the hospital for a week, but if they continue to do this good, we could be out in just a couple days." Jasper looked down at Isa, a smile on his face, and kissed her softly. "They are perfect, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are," Bella commented, another tear sliding down her cheek. "So, I forgot to ask Esme, were they born last night or this morning?"

"They were born around 2:30AM today," Alice responded.

"So, September 1 at 2:30AM." Bella looked up at me, smiling. "Esmerie will be born in the same month as her cousins!"

Chuckling, I said, "Yes, beautiful. We are next."

**A/N: Yup, Edward and Bella are next. So, PLEASE tell me what you thought of this chapter. Good baby names? Bad names? I appreciate your feedback! Thank you!**


	32. Chapter 32 Let's Get This Party Started

**A/N: OK I'll keep this short. Let's do this thannng!**

**Thank you to my beta's, torisurfergirl and starpower31, for the much needed encouragement for this chapter.**

**Enjoy, my friends!**

Chapter 32 – Let's Get This Party Started

"Expecting is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of tomorrow, it loses today."

Lucius Annaeus Seneca

EPOV

"I'm just saying, this is total bullshit," Bella said for the third time as we were leaving the doctor's office. "I shouldn't have to wait another few days because he has to go golfing, or whatever."

Chuckling softly, I said, "Bella, he said that he was going to be at a conference. Given the possible complications you could have with labor, because of the fibroid, he wants you to remain pregnant until he gets back. It's not an unreasonable request."

"Yes it is." She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

It was easy to understand why she was so upset, in all honesty, I wasn't happy either. We went to Bella's final checkup when she was thirty-seven weeks, just like the doctor had asked us to. After he had checked her, he said that he wanted her to continue to take the medication through the weekend and into the next week, since he would be at a conference. He didn't want her giving birth while he's gone.

"September 13. That is the day when you can officially stop taking the medication. I am on call for the whole weekend, so you can be sure that it will be me delivering your baby," the doctor had told us.

"But that's almost a whole week away!" Bella had protested.

"You'll be just fine. One more week to let the baby stew and develop. She'll be better for it. I promise."

So there we were, heading back home with no exciting news to tell anyone. We had all been hoping that the baby would be born this weekend.

"…great freaking present…" Bella mumbled. I hadn't quite heard her, so I asked her to repeat herself. "Oh, nothing…I was just saying that it was a great freaking present. Going into labor on my birthday."

I almost crashed the car. "Bella, you never told me that your birthday was September 13!"

"Yeah, well, you never told me yours was June 20! I had to find out because someone mailed you a birthday card…and even then I didn't know what the date was." Glancing at Bella, I saw her stick her tongue out at me. We were pulling into the apartment complex, and I just started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking how cool it would be if Merie was born on your birthday!" We both got out of the car and walked slowly to the apartment. "And how funny it is that neither one of us told the other about our birthdays. Weird, huh?"

Bella smiled, but didn't laugh. I knew she was miserable being pregnant, and especially while on bed rest…and I also knew that there probably wasn't anything that I could do about it.

"So, what do you want for your birthday?" I asked, opening the front door for Bella.

"Nothing."

"Oh, come on, surely you want something…a new book? A romantic weekend for two in Tahoe? What, beautiful?"

"Nothing. I don't want you to get me anything."

Bella sat down on the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table. Sitting down next to her, I asked, "Why can't I get you a present?"

"What did I get you for your birthday, Edward?" she said without looking at me.

"Um, a card?" Honestly, I couldn't remember.

"Yes, I got you a card. It's not right if you get me something if I didn't get you anything. Besides, I have nothing to give back to you, so it's not a fair trade regardless." She shifted closer to me, laying her head on my shoulder.

"Bella, you give me everything just by being here."

"See? That's all I want…thank you."

Within a few moments, Bella had fallen asleep. I extracted myself and fished my phone out of my jeans to call my mother.

"Edward! Is Bella in labor already?" Esme sounded so excited; it was almost too hard to tell her we had to wait another week. But I relayed what the doctor had said. She was definitely frustrated, just like Bella, but she understood. "Well, one more week so that Esmerie can grow some more, right? That's probably a good thing!"

"Yes, exactly. As you can imagine, Bella is not very happy about this."

"No, I bet she's not! Tell you what, your dad and I will come over tonight and distract her, and you! We can play cards or something. I'll bring dinner. Sound good?"

"Sounds great, Mom. Thank you."

After hanging up, I texted Jasper really quick. I had gotten into the habit of doing that rather than calling. The twins slept very strange hours, and I didn't want to wake them up.

_:Bella's doc says we have to wait another week:_ I texted to him. Without waiting for a reply, I went into the kitchen and cleaned up our breakfast dishes. My phone buzzed in my pocket not too long after.

_:WTF for?: _I laughed. Even though Jasper was much easier to deal with when he was on his medication, some of the old Jasper would come through now and then.

Briefly, I explained via text to him as well.

_:Crap. That sucks. Told Alice, she says come off the meds anyway. LOL:_

Logically, I couldn't let Bella do that. She had a fibroid, and her doctor was aware of everything that had happened in this pregnancy. If it was really important that he deliver the baby, then who am I to change plans? As much as it would be difficult for Bella, we would have to wait the week.

~~WLTY~~

"Happy birthday, beautiful," I whispered, leaning over a sleeping Bella. I brushed her hair off her face and kissed her cheek. "Wake up, baby. Today is the day when we should get to see our baby!"

Bella stirred slightly, but didn't wake up. Knowing how tired she was lately, I decided to let her sleep. Since work had let me off for a couple weeks in anticipation of the baby coming today, I didn't have to get up as early as normal. I showered, got Bella's bags in the car and made sure the apartment was clean.

By ten, Bella still wasn't awake, so I went in and decided to wake her up. I knew that she wanted to meet the baby, so I figured she wouldn't mind me waking her up.

"Hmm," Bella mumbled. "Don't wanna wake up. Last day to be able to sleep in. Join me."

Since I couldn't deny her anything, I crawled back in bed with her, wrapping my arms around her. "You know, since you haven't taken the pills today, labor could start at any time. Do you want to get up, shower and get dressed?"

"No." She snuggled closer to me. "You know what else we can do? Now that it's OK for the baby to come out…"

"Bella, let's just wait on that. I don't want to hurt you, and the doctor never said that we could. I don't want to hurt the baby, either."

Sighing, Bella shifted and got up. She walked slowly into the bathroom and took a shower. I continued to straighten up the rest of the apartment. By the time she came wandering out of the bathroom, the entire place was clean. I placed a plate of fruit on the table and she sat down in front of it.

"Wow! You expecting us to be gone for a week?" she asked, popping a grape in her mouth, smirking at me.

"Well, I didn't want to have to worry about anything once the baby came. Seemed like a good idea at the time. How are you feeling?" I sat down next to her at the table, eyeing her with a critical eye. She was still smiling and didn't seem different.

"I'm fine. Nothing yet. I've only missed one pill, so I doubt that it will happen this quickly."

"OK, well let me know."

We went about our day: we watched a movie, took a nap and made sure the baby clothes were folded. By dinner time, we were both starting to get anxious.

"Maybe you made such a good home for her that she doesn't want to come out yet?" I said, taking a bite of lasagna.

"Maybe you are such a guy and say the sweetest things?" Bella responded, laughing a little. Suddenly, she bent over her stomach, grimacing in pain.

"Bella?"

"Yeah, that was painful…I think they might be starting."

"Should we go to the hospital now?"

"Not after just one. The book says that I should wait until the contractions are three to four minutes apart."

I helped her to the couch, placing a towel down just in case her water broke — at Bella's insistence. Remembering what the books said about women in labor, I tried to be as soothing as I could be. They said to rub her belly, but when I tried it she got frustrated.

"Edward, I'm sorry, but that just hurts more than it does anything else." Bella bit down on her lip, cringing again. "Screw this, I want my pain medication. Let's get going."

"OK, I'll grab your shoes, you call Esme and Carlisle?"

"'Kay." Bella picked up her cell phone. "Esme? Yes, I'm in labor. We're headed to the hospital now. Can you please text Alice or Jasper? OK, thank you. Yes, we'll see you there." She turned to look at me. "They are going to meet us there."

"Good. OK, beautiful, here are your shoes. Let's go get this party started."

~~WLTY~~

"How is she?" Esme asked, after having found us in Labor and Delivery at the hospital. Both her and Carlisle had shown up about an hour after we had.

"She's great. They gave her an epidural almost as soon as we got here, so she isn't have any problems at all," I responded.

Bella had demanded the epidural before the nurses had her monitors on. The nurse checked her, informed us that she was already dilated to a five. That was fortunate, because that meant that she could get her epidural immediately.

"Oh, good! I kept telling Alice it was OK to get pain killers, but she seemed adamant. I'm glad Bella's doing OK." Esme walked in the room and sat down next to Bella. They started chatting about how exciting this was and wondering about how long it would take.

Carlisle stood next to me watching the girls for a minute, before turning to me. "Ed, let's walk for a minute and let these girls have some time."

Curious, I looked at him. "Uh, sure, what's up, Dad?"

"Let's just take a walk."

"OK, let me tell Bella. One sec." I walked over to Bella, kissed her on the cheek and told her where I was going. "I promise I won't be gone long. Mom, please call me if something changes?"

"Of course."

I followed Carlisle out of the room, and we headed for the elevators. "OK, so what's going on?"

"Well, your mother and I were just wondering how you and Bella were doing?"

"What, like financially?" I asked, knowing full well that wasn't what he was talking about.

"Ed, I'm talking about as a couple. You both seem happy, and have been together for, well, about nine months now, yes? How are things going? Do you think you two will get married?"

By this time, the elevator had opened up, and we both walked in. Leaning against the side, I sighed. "Honestly, I hope so, but I don't know. She hasn't even told me that she loves me yet."

"I understand, but we talked about this." I nodded at his words. "She shows you that she loves you, yes?" I nodded again. "Don't push her. She needs to get there in her own time, not yours."

"I know, Dad, but…"

"Edward, don't obsess over this. Especially not now." We had stopped in the lobby downstairs, and both sat down. "Now, do you think that you will ask her to marry you?"

"Yes, someday, when I think she's ready." I ran my hand through my hair, feeling frustrated.

"Well, then I have something for you." Carlisle reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring box. "It was your grandmother's. Your mother and I saved it for you, hoping that you would give it to the right girl. Tonya wasn't the right girl…but Bella is."

Overwhelmed by emotion, I took the ring box and opened it. It was a pale silver ring, in the shape of an oval with diamonds along the top. It was different from any ring I had ever seen; it was amazing.

"Dad, I don't know what to say…thank you!"

Carlisle smiled and stood up. "Let's get back to your girl. That baby could be coming any time now."

We headed back upstairs in silence. I was still in shock over the gift he had given me and didn't really know what else to say.

We got back up to Bella's room, and we sat down listening to Esme and Bella chat. I had never seen Bella look this beautiful before…of course, she's always beautiful, but since the epidural had kicked in taking the pain away, she was just glowing.

All of us chatted and joked for the next couple hours. Bella was progressing great and was dilated to a seven and a half by around midnight. I was a little disappointed that the baby hadn't been born on her birthday, but that just meant that I could celebrate both my girls back to back.

Close to one in the morning, Carlisle and I left to get some coffee, leaving Esme to watch over Bella who had just fallen asleep.

When we got back up to Labor and Delivery, a nurse rushed past us and into Bella's room right before we got there. I rushed in behind her to see Bella hunched over, crying in pain. Esme had her arms around her, with her cell phone next to her ear.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here. I was just calling you. Something's wrong…Bella is in a lot of pain," Esme said in a rushed voice. She sounded scared, which caused me to panic.

"We've paged your doctor. He should be here in a few minutes," the nurse said. She was standing next to Bella's bed, checking the monitors.

Rushing to Bella, I grabbed her hand and sat down on the side of the bed. "Bella?"

"I…don't know…what happened," she wheezed. "One minute…I was fine. The…next…minute…pain."

Turning to the nurse, I asked, "Is her epidural wearing off?"

She shook her head, still looking at the monitors. At that moment, the doctor walked into the room. He walked right up to the nurse and looked over her shoulder.

"Bella, looks like the baby is in distress." Then, turning to the nurse, he said, "Get a sonogram machine in here, now. She has a fibroid on her uterus, and I need to get a look at it."

I knew that everyone was rushing, but the terror I was feeling made everything seem like slow motion. It seemed like forever before the nurse was wheeling in the machine…and even longer before the doctor had it hooked up and on Bella's stomach.

"Here's the problem…OK…" the doctor muttered to himself. Turning to Bella and I, he said louder, "The fibroid is lower than we initially thought. The problem is that the baby is pushing against it and it appears to be tearing. I'm sorry, but we are going to need to rush you into a C-section and fast."

The doctor let us absorb his statement before continuing, "After we get the baby out, I will need to remove the fibroid. Traditional cesareans are just essentially a stronger dose of the epidural medicine, with the mother remaining awake. However, since I need to remove the fibroid, Bella will have to be under general anesthesia." He turned to me. "Edward, you can be just outside of the OR. Once the nurses have checked out the baby, as long as she is healthy, then we'll hand her to you."

"Doctor, isn't there anything else you can do?" I said, desperately. I knew that Bella wouldn't want to miss the birth of our daughter.

He shook his head and turned the sonogram off. "No. It has to be a C-section, and it has to be now. Bella could start hemorrhaging any minute now."

Esme and Carlisle looked scared also, but they hugged both Bella and I just before the nurses started pushing Bella out of the room. I reached over and grabbed Bella's hand, and she clutched it tightly.

Before I could really start breathing again, we began to slow our pace. The nurse who was pushing Bella, turned to me. "Sir, you can't go into the OR with us, and you only have a minute. You'll be seeing each other soon." And then she turned and rushed over to the nurse's station.

"Beautiful, you are going to be just fine. You'll go to sleep, and wake up to our daughter. I'll be here waiting for you."

Bella bit her lip as a tear slid down her cheek. "If something happens…"

"Nothing is going to happen. You are my life…nothing can happen to you or Merie." I kissed her forehead, and then her lips.

Bella looked up at me, tears still streaming down her face. She placed her hand on my cheek and whispered, "I love you."

**A/N: OK, now listen…I know you all hate me for this horrid cliffy, but come one, wasn't that worth it at the end there? I promise to post Ch. 33 soon. **


	33. Chapter 33 All's Well That Ends Well

**A/N: I know that none of you are reading this because you want to know what happens…here you go!**

Chapter 33 – All's Well That Ends Well

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

Marcel Proust

BPOV

I woke up in a fog. My brain seemed to be mush, and I couldn't quite remember what I was doing or why I was here. The nurses eventually got tired of answering my inane questions and left me in peace. After the fog lifted, I motioned for a nurse to come over.

"When do I get to see my baby?" I asked him.

"She's still in the NICU. We are going to take you back to your room in a few minutes where your family is waiting." He smiled at me and walked away.

_Edward._ I was so scared before the surgery, and I had wanted to tell him exactly how I felt about him. _Did I do that? If I did, does he believe me?_ Pushing that thought out of my head, I concentrated on being able to see my baby.

True to his word, the nurse came back and started wheeling me up to my room. After a little while, the lights on the ceiling started to make me dizzy, so I closed my eyes. I heard Esme before anyone else.

"Oh, God, she's back! Carlisle, Edward, Alice, Jasper! She's back!" Slowly, I opened my eyes and saw Esme, silently crying, standing next to the gurney. The nurse pushed past her and settled me in my room.

"The doctor will be up soon, honey, I promise," he said to me, before leaving.

Very quickly, I was surrounded by my family. Esme and Carlisle were at the foot of the bed, Jasper and Alice were on one side, each holding a baby, and Edward was on the other side, reaching for my hand.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" His face was full of concern. "They wouldn't let me take Merie…they said that they needed to check her out in the NICU."

"How long?" I croaked. My throat was really hurting.

"That was about three hours ago that they told me she was born. I haven't heard anything about her since…last time I saw the doctor was when he came out to tell me he was done with you and you should be waking up soon."

"Did they say anything?" I was hoping he would understand what I meant; it was really hard to talk.

"They said that your surgery went well. The fibroid was removed, and you did just fine. The doctor seemed confident that you could have more children, also." Edward kissed my hand. "Merie was born just after two in the morning, and she was six pounds seven ounces. I'm sorry, beautiful, that's all I know."

Silently, I started to cry. Edward took me in my arms, sitting on the bed next to me. Alice and Esme were both crying also, while Carlisle and Jasper just looked worried. I reached out to take Alice's hand; Jasper wound his free arm around Alice; Carlisle put one arm around Esme, and the other touching Jasper's shoulder. As a family, we stood united in our fear that something had happened to our baby.

~~WLTY~~

EPOV

Nervously, I paced outside of the OR, checking my phone every few seconds to see what time it was. It was almost two-thirty in the morning when a nurse came out and walked toward me.

"Mr. Cullen?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Your daughter was born just after two. We are performing tests on her now and need to take her to the NICU. The doctor said that he's working on removing the fibroid from Ms. Swan and he suggested that you head back up to Labor and Delivery. He'll have Ms. Swan moved back up there once she's out of surgery."

My mind was spinning. Hadn't the doctor said that they would give Merie to me after she was born? "Wait, I thought that you were going to give me my daughter?"

"I'm sorry, sir, we are still running tests. It would be better for you to go back to your family. We aren't sure how much longer she will need to be in the NICU." She smiled stiffly at me and walked away.

With about a million questions in my head, I turned and headed toward the elevators. By the time I got up to Labor and Delivery, I was really freaking out.

"Edward? What's going on? Where's Esmerie?" Esme asked, rushing over to me. I had reached Bella's room, but I hadn't gotten inside yet. I stood in the doorway, trying to figure everything out.

"They are running tests…I don't know," I responded, telling them all that the nurse had told me. I walked over to the chair next to the bed and sat down, putting my head in my hands.

"Edward, I'm sure it will be just fine," Carlisle said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Es, maybe we need to call Jasper and Alice."

Looking up at my father, I assessed his face quickly. "You think something is wrong, don't you?"

"I'm hoping not, but I don't want to chance not having the whole family here if there is." He turned to Esme and said, "Call Jazz."

Esme nodded, picking up her phone. To her credit, she sounded very calm when she suggested that they come down to the hospital to wait with us. "We know she was born, but that's all. Bella is still in surgery. We think it would be better if you guys came to join us."

Jasper and Alice got there about forty five minutes later, and we still hadn't heard any news of Bella or the baby. Esme and Carlisle took the twins while Jasper and Alice walked up to me, asking what was going on. I told them what the nurse had said to me, and they both looked worried.

"She didn't say how Bella was doing?" Alice asked, biting her lip. She looked so much like Bella doing that, that I almost choked up right there.

"No, just that she was still in surgery."

"Ed, when was the last time you ate?" Jasper asked, sitting in the chair next to me.

"Um, Mom? When did we eat last, do you remember?"

"I haven't seen you eat here, honey. Bella said that the contractions started after you two ate dinner last night, so I would guess then," she responded, cuddling with Isa.

"Let's go get something for you to eat, OK?" Jasper said, standing up.

"No, what if the doctor comes while we are gone? I can't, I need to be right here."

"OK, I get it. Will you eat if I go get something for you?"

"I'll try."

Jasper took Alice's hand, made sure that Esme and Carlisle were OK with keeping the twins, and they left the room.

My mind was still racing with about a million possibilities…what if there was something wrong with Merie? What if Bella didn't make it out of surgery? What would I do if the most important people in my life were suddenly gone?

I could feel myself slowly breaking apart. This was much more than I could handle. Esme must have seen it too, because she walked over, sat down next to me and put her arm around me.

"Edward, don't do this…you have to believe that everything will be fine. Take a deep breath, honey. Trust me…life only gives you what you can handle. Please, believe that everything will be fine." Her hand circled my back, calming me.

Jasper and Alice returned, bringing me a range of food from the hospital cafeteria. "Sorry, Ed, but the cafeteria itself wasn't open…all they had was the snack bar. I got as much as I could. Please, eat."

The food tasted like nothing to me, so I just kept shoving it into my mouth until I was full. I couldn't even tell what I had eaten…but it didn't really matter.

Another hour went by, and still nothing. We sat around and attempted to talk, but no one was inclined to keep a conversation going. Alice fed the babies, Jasper burped them, Esme took Isa after she was done feeding, and Carlisle took Tony.

About a half an hour later, the doctor came in, still wearing scrubs. "Edward?" he asked, looking around the room.

I stood up quickly, walking over to him. "How's Bella? And my daughter?"

"Bella's out of surgery and doing well. The fibroid was removed successfully with no damage done to the uterus. Future children are definitely a possibility." He ran his hand over his face, looking very tired. "Since I was with Bella, I haven't had a chance to check on your daughter yet. I'm going up there now to make sure she's OK. I'm sorry I don't have more news for you. Bella should be up here soon, once she wakes up and we can move her."

Alice slid up beside me, putting her arm around me. "B made it through the surgery, that's a good thing. One less person to worry about. Merie will be just fine…you'll see." She kissed me quickly on the cheek, before turning to Carlisle to take a fussy Tony from him.

The next half an hour or so was the longest of my life. I was desperate to see Bella…desperate to see my daughter…just desperate. Finally, I heard the words I'd been waiting to hear…

"Oh, God, she's back! Carlisle, Edward, Alice, Jasper! She's back!"

~~WLTY~~

BPOV

"Ms. Swan?" a voice said from the doorway. We all broke apart to see a nurse standing in the doorway, pushing a baby sized gurney. "I was told that you were asking to see her?" She smiled at us and carefully reached in, pulling out a very tiny bundle.

My tears sped up, but I was unable to talk. Edward asked the question that I had wanted to. "Is she OK?"

"Yes, she's just fine. We had some concerns because we couldn't perform the hearing test on her, and her heart beat was erratic. We needed to check her out. She is just fine, though. Very healthy." She smiled at us again. "The doctor will be in shortly to explain everything. Momma? You first…"

Edward removed his arms from around me, and I reached out so the nurse could give me Merie. She was so tiny, with a head full of Edward's copper colored hair. She snuggled closer to me, but didn't open her eyes. More tears spilled down my cheeks as I leaned in to kiss her forehead.

Edward leaned over her and with tears in his own eyes, he said, "She's perfect. She looks just like you."

"Some of you, too," I whispered, placing my hand on her head.

"Oh, B, she's beautiful!" Alice exclaimed.

Looking up at Alice, I smiled and nodded. Then, I turned to Edward. "Your turn."

Carefully, he took Merie from me, holding her close. He just gazed at her for a while before he walked over to Esme and Carlisle. "Merie, meet your grandparents. You were named after both of them."

"And they love you very much," Esme said, with tears in her eyes. Holding out her arms, Edward gave her Merie. "Hello, Esmerie Carlie. I'm so happy to meet you."

Merie was passed around to everyone…Alice had placed Isa and Tony in the dual stroller, so they wouldn't be in the way.

"Edward, Bella," Dr. Berty said, walking through the door. "I see you have all met your beautiful daughter."

"Yes," I whispered. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"Of course, I assumed you would want to know that. After she was born, the nurses did their standard tests. She failed the hearing test and the nurses also heard an irregularity with her heart. Since she had been in distress before we removed her, I wanted to be sure that there wasn't any permanent damage done.

"The reason it took as long as it did was because I had to page the pediatric cardiologist to come and review the echo that had been done of her heart. Your daughter has an innocent heart murmur, that shouldn't cause her any problems. As she gets older, it may even become less and less noticeable. Her heart is perfectly healthy otherwise.

"Her hearing was a little harder. I reviewed the hearing tests myself, and we were concerned that she might have a hearing problem. Then one of the orderlies dropped something nearby and she flinched. I examined her ears myself, and it looks like they are too small for the machine to fit in. She failed the hearing test because her ears are too tiny to test.

"However, I want you both to remember that you need to bring her in after she grows a little. We need to redo the hearing test once her ears are bigger to make sure there is no hearing loss. Based on what we saw of her reaction to the loud noise, I believe she's fine there, also."

I exhaled the air that I was holding, and I noticed that Edward had done that, too. "So, she's perfectly healthy?"

The doctor nodded, smiling. "Perfectly healthy. Bella will need some time in the hospital until I'm comfortable that she's OK. You and the baby can stay with her for up to four days. Hopefully, by that time, Bella will be ready to go also." He smiled again and then walked out.

Everyone began smiling at each other. Esme and Carlisle walked over to me. Esme handed Merie back to me before giving me a hug, followed by Carlisle.

"We'll leave you three alone then. We'll come back later tonight after you have some bonding time as a new family. We love you, Bella. Thank you," Esme said, hugging me again.

"Esme, Carlisle…" I whispered, my voice still scratchy. "Thank you for everything."

They both smiled, before leaving the room. Jasper and Alice said their goodbyes also. "We need to get them home and in bed. They don't sleep quite right in the stroller, and I don't want to be up all night," Alice said, hugging me. "B, she's beautiful. Congrats."

"Thanks, Ali. I'll see you later?"

"Definitely."

Jasper was standing right behind Alice, and after she moved, he came up and gave me a hug also. "Congrats, Bells." Was all he said.

After that, the four of them left, leaving Edward, Merie and I alone. Edward came and sat down next to me on the bed, and I looked up at him. "I love you."

His face grew serious for a split second. "You said that already," he said, smiling at me. "I love you, too, beautiful."

"I'm sorry it took me this long to say it…I think that I fell in love with you the first second I saw you. It was like you were a part of me…like the other half of my soul finally coming home." I shifted slightly, cuddling Merie close to me. "I promise to never stop saying it…I love you. I love you so much."

Edward shifted also and bent down, kissing me softly. "And I promise to never stop loving you. It's you and me…and Merie, of course."

He kissed me again as we whispered together:

"Forever."

**A/N: Please review! Let me know what you think. There is only one more chapter to go and this story will be complete. I have been asked to write an epilogue by my beta's, so that should be coming in the next week or so after the final chapter is posted. Plus, there is one outtake in Jasper's POV. If you would like another one, for a specific time, please let me know!**


	34. Chapter 34 The End

**A/N: Sniff…sniff…sniff…Here it is. The final chapter of my story. There will be an epi as well as an outtake posted hopefully in the next week or so.**

**I won't bore you all with too many things, I'll catch ya at the end!**

Chapter 34 – The End

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story."

Orson Welles

APOV

_Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!_

Slowly, I slid out of bed and glanced at the clock. Almost three in the morning. The babies had let me sleep for almost an hour; that was definitely progress. Jasper stirred, but didn't wake. Poor guy, he had been up late with Tony, who was sick with croup and kept waking Isa up. He had to work today, too, so I let him sleep.

I marveled at how much my life had changed in the short five weeks since the babies had been born. Jasper and Edward had moved my stuff, so I was officially living with Jasper. He also paid the landlord to break my lease, so I wouldn't have any credit issues later on. The babies basically took up all my time. Jasper helped as much as he could, but really he could only help in the evening. He had to get sleep, and he had to work.

I had started taking naps as soon as he came home, which we both hated but there wasn't much choice. My body was just not getting enough sleep…Isa would wake up and want to be fed. I would feed her and put her down, then Tony would wake up. By the time I put Tony down, there was usually only about an hour or so before Isa would wake up again, if that.

Walking to the babies' room, I silently thanked Jasper for installing the nightlight in the hallway. I opened the door and swiftly picked up Isa. She started rooting around, and I knew that she must be hungry again. I sat down in the rocking chair that Carlisle had bought for us and started nursing her.

It wasn't even two minutes later when the door opened slightly. "Isa eating again?" Jasper asked, yawning.

"Yes," I whispered, not wanting to startle the baby. I quickly glanced over to Tony, who was still asleep for the moment.

"After you are done, come out in to the living room. OK?" Jasper asked.

"Sure."

He turned and walked out the door, and I finished feeding her. Once she was done, I put her over my shoulder and walked into the living room. "What's up, Jazz?"

"A couple things. We hardly ever get to talk anymore, so since we are both awake at the same time, I'd like to talk now. Is that OK?"

"Uh, OK. Poke me if I fall asleep, all right?" I snickered and sat down on the couch next to him.

"You are exhausted, Ali. You hardly ever sleep…I can barely get you to eat. They will be better once they get older, but you need to consider not nursing both of them." He held his hand up, stopping my objections that he knew were coming. "Listen, sweetheart, I understand you want to nurse your babies, but you have to think of yourself, also. If we could feed them formula, at least at night, then I could help you so that you can get some sleep."

"Jasper, I know what you are saying…and I'll have to do that next week anyway. I'm scheduled to go back to work. I'll be pumping at work, but I don't know if that will be enough for both babies. Let me get through the first six weeks before we start putting them on the bottle. Please?" I whined.

"Ali…please, just consider the bottle feedings for night time, and that's all. I can get up and feed them so you can rest more. Let's try it just one night and see how you feel in the morning. Please?" he said, copying my tone.

"OK…I guess so. It's easy to fight with me now, because I'm so tired." I chuckled again, and this time Jasper joined me.

"Well, that's good, because I have one more thing that I want to fight with you about tonight," Jasper said, still laughing. "About going back to work next week…"

"Yeah, I know, it totally sucks, huh?"

"Ali, I want you to quit."

"What?" I said in a harsh whisper, trying not to wake up Isa.

"Are you happy there?"

"No…but—"

"Wouldn't you rather stay home with the babies, just for now, not permanently, than go back to a job you hate?"

"Um…"

"Think about it, Ali. It's only Tuesday, you are due back to work next Monday. You have time to consider this as an option." He stood up and took Isa from me. I followed him back into their room where he placed her down next to Tony.

After we left the room, I turned to him. "Jasper, how are we supposed to be able to afford that?"

"Ali, one thing you and I have never talked about is money. I make a lot doing what I do, and my family has money as well, not to mention the untouched trust fund in my name. Please, let me do this for you. You can take a year off, two years, whatever you want. We can talk about what career you would like, send you to school if you want, make sure that you are happy. I saw it in your eyes when you would come home from work, you weren't happy."

I sat down on the bed, speechless. "Are you serious?"

Jasper sat down next to me, reaching out to hold my hand. "We will be fine for now, I promise. Let me do this for you…for our babies. I…I love you."

We had only said that to each other twice. Once when my water broke, and once after the babies had been born. Hearing him say that caused me to feel giddy and beyond happy. I squeezed his hand and looked into his eyes. "OK. Let's do it! I never had the money to finish college, but I would love to! Down the road, after the babies are bigger, definitely not right now. Thank you, Jazz. And…I love you, too."

"Oh, Ali, are you sure you are OK with this? I just want you to be happy."

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Great! Tomorrow, if the babies let us get any sleep tonight, we can start discussing plans. This is going to be great!"

_Yes. This is going to be great._

~~WLTY~~

EPOV

Three Months Later - Christmas

I was so nervous that I swear Bella could hear my knees knocking together. Jasper and I had the perfect plan that needed to be executed at just the right time, so I kept checking my phone for the time. I tried not to be too obvious, but I was still worried that she had figured me out.

Bella, Merie and I were all headed over to Esme and Carlisle's for Christmas. We had unloaded all of our presents the week before, so we were just bringing ourselves. Alice and Jasper were headed over with their two troublemakers as well. Jasper was convinced that once they could crawl he would have to move everything up and out of their reach, including the furniture.

Merie was very much like Bella, calm and relaxed most of the time with only short outbursts of anger. She didn't cry very often, definitely not as often as Tony did. He was a screamer. Merie, on the other hand, only screamed when she was getting shots. Other than that, she was a very quiet and calm baby.

Jasper had convinced Alice to stay home and quit her job. Unfortunately, I couldn't convince Bella to do the same thing. Her situation was different because she enjoyed her job.

"Edward, I love my job! It's in the exact field I want to be in, I have a great career path…it would be foolish for me to quit right now." she had said.

I understood her point so I never pressed the issue. She seemed to be doing all right though: juggling Merie, pumping breast milk, and working. I was keeping my eye on her, just to make sure she didn't get overwhelmed. In the almost two months since she had returned to work, she hadn't been stressed out any more than before. In fact, she almost seemed calmer…happier.

"You've been very quiet today," Bella commented, just as I was pulling into my parents' driveway. "Something on your mind?"

"Just your Christmas present. I'm not sure if you're going to like it or not…"

She laughed at me, opening her door and getting out. I stepped out too and opened the back door of the new SUV I had bought, getting Merie and her car seat out. "I'm sure I'll love it. I can't believe you talked me into Christmas presents. I hate getting gifts…"

"Yeah. That's why I'm nervous."

Bella stopped in front of me, reaching up to kiss me softly. "I'm sure I will love it."

Esme came running out to greet us, taking Merie from the car seat and walking into the house with her. In all my twenty-nine years, I had never seen my mother so happy. She practically glowed every time she got to see her grandchildren. Esme was meant to be a grandma.

Carlisle greeted us, taking our jackets from us. Bella and I made our way into the living room where Jasper and Alice sat, hand in hand, each holding a baby. Bella hurried over to Alice, taking Isa from her.

Pretty soon, we were putting the babies to bed in the brand new playroom Esme had designed and sitting down to a wonderful Christmas dinner. We all started to eat, and I began reflecting on the past year and the new faces at my mother's table.

Jasper, instead of normal angry Jasper, was much calmer and happy. Alice held out a bite of the vegetarian dish Esme had made for Bella and took a bite. He smiled at her, leaning in to kiss her softly. He was a totally different person. I couldn't find one bone in my body that was sad about losing the brother he used to be…because I had gained the friend I had always wanted.

Alice, the quiet girl that I met last New Year's, was much more outspoken and had turned into a woman. I couldn't count how many times in the last few months I'd heard the phrase "Oh, shut the hell up, Jasper!" from her. She was growing as well and learning to stick up for herself. Jasper had called her a mouse in the beginning, but she was anything but that now.

Bella was different also. Last New Year's, she had been very quiet and resentful of Jasper's attitude. Now, she was satisfied…content with her life. The beautiful woman that I had fallen in love with was even more gorgeous now. Every day I was thankful for the two girls who made my life worth living. Bella had given me Merie, and I would always be in her debt for that. But, in addition, she had also given me herself; her love, her devotion and her strength.

As for myself, even I could see a difference. A year ago I was being scolded by my mother for working too hard. After losing Tonya, I had thrown myself into my work. It was easier than relationships, but I was lonely. Jasper would bring me dinner, otherwise I wouldn't eat. Now I can see that he was helping in his own way, even before the medication. But, finally, my life has a different purpose. My daughter and my Bella. I never stay late at work, and I never go in early. Staying in bed a little longer (just to watch Bella nurse Merie) is completely worth having to work much harder when I get there.

Jasper clearing his throat brought me back to reality. His eyes locked with mine, and I nodded quickly. He stood up, looking out at everyone.

"I would like to propose a toast," Jasper said, holding up his sparkling apple cider glass. All of the rest of us followed suit. "Mom, was it really only a year ago that you were lecturing Ed and I to find some good women and settle down?" he joked, snickering a little. Esme smiled at him. "Well, that's exactly what we've done.

"We have our good women, we have our children—or child in Ed's case. Guess I finally beat you at something, brother!" We all laughed again. "But there is one thing missing. Ed?"

Slipping my hand out of my pocket, I looked at Bella and knelt down on the floor, next to her chair. Immediately, her face turned red — my favorite color.

"Isabella Marie Swan, you have made me the happiest man in the world, if you say yes I promise that I will love you every day of forever. Will you marry me?"

Bella bit her lip, staring wide eyed at the ring that used to belong to my grandmother and nodded, as tears began to streak down her face. I stood up and took her into my arms, holding her tight and whispering how much I loved her.

"Jazz?" I said.

Turning so I could see him, I watched Jasper stand up and then kneel in front of Alice. From where I was standing, I couldn't see her face, but I could bet that she was shocked.

"Ali, we haven't had an easy time of it, have we, sweetheart? And I know that about fifty percent of that was my fault"—Alice snorted—"OK, maybe ninety percent. In any case, I enjoy your company more than anyone's. I look forward each day to being able to see you, talk to you…hear about your day, and help you with our beautiful children.

"I can't imagine anyone in the entire world that I could love more than you. I told you this once before, but after the babies were born I realized just how true this is: you are everything that I never knew I always wanted. Ali, I love you…will you marry me?"

Since I couldn't see her face, I couldn't tell what Alice was thinking. The room was completely still while waiting for her response. Bella glanced at me, worry etched onto her face.

"Jazz," Alice started, reaching her hand out to touch his shoulder. "I can't imagine loving any one more than I love you. Yes. Of course I'll marry you!" She and Jasper jumped up together, kissing each other with a vengeance.

Esme and Carlisle began to move, hugging each of us in turn, before facing Alice and Bella. "You know what we get to do now, girls? Plan the wedding!"

"_The_ wedding…we only get one?" Bella asked.

"Wouldn't that be great? One wedding for both of you?"

"No offence, Esme, but Bella already stole my thunder for the whole month of September because her birth story is way more complicated than mine. I vote for separate weddings, separated by at least five or six months," Alice said, sitting back down at the table and laughing. "I was thinking May or June." She smiled at Jasper, and they shared a look. Clearly, May or June had special meaning for them.

"Well, _I_ was thinking March 5th next year." I smiled my own private smile to Bella, who clearly understood my meaning.

"Edward," Esme said, looking at her calendar on her phone. "That's a Tuesday!"

"I know." I brought Bella's hand up to my mouth to kiss it.

Bella and I continued to look at each other while everyone else kept talking. Our journey together was just beginning. We may have done things backwards —to most people anyway—but we eventually got to the same destination.

Jasper and Alice had found love and happiness after a one night stand, and Bella and I found our soul mates, one cold snowy night in Reno.

**A/N: This has been an amazing experience for me. I've always wanted to write, and I knew that would be where my life ended up eventually. But, being able to interact with all of you during this process, getting feedback and such, it was better than I ever imagined.**

**I want to thank first and foremost my PTB betas. I couldn't have finished this story without you two. Your encouragement and friendship over the last 5 months has been amazing. You kicked my ass when I needed it, and encouraged me when I needed that also. Torisurfergirl and starpower31…thanks just doesn't feel like enough, but it's the only word I can find. Thank you both so much!**

**My readers! Wow! I never thought I would have such a huge turnout for a story I wrote. Your reviews have been amazing, and I lived for each and every one of them! Thank you thank you thank you for taking the time to read my story! You have no idea how much that means to me!**

**Well, as stated above, I will be posting an epi and an outtake. Hopefully within a week or two…I'm still working on them. I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas as much as Edward and Bella, Jasper and Alice and Esme and Carlisle did. **

**Thank you, again, for taking part in my tiny piece of fan fiction. Have a happy new year!**


	35. Epilogue

**A/N: I'm back! Here is the much anticipated Epi for my story (hehehehe). The Jasper outtake is immediately behind it, and hopefully you'll have that before Monday.**

**Thanks to my beta's starpower31 and torisurfergirl for helping me again :)**

**I disclaim - I do not own Twilight, nor do I own the song lyrics in this chapter, but I do own a fantastic new cookbook that I can't wait to use!**

Epilogue

"Everything"

Michael Buble

You're a falling star, you're the get away car.

You're the line in the sand when I go too far.

You're the swimming pool, on an August day.

And you're the perfect thing to say.

And you play it coy but it's kinda cute.

Ah, when you smile at me you know exactly what you do.

Baby don't pretend that you don't know it's true.

'cause you can see it when I look at you.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times

It's you, it's you, you make me sing.

You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,

And you light me up, when you ring my bell.

You're a mystery, you're from outer space,

You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,

And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.

Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,

And you know that's what our love can do.

_2 years later_

BPOV

"Edward…" I groaned, as his tongue circled my clit. His hands snaked up the sides of my legs causing, me to shiver. He moaned, sending me over the edge. Slowly, Edward slid up my body and captured my mouth with his. My legs circled his body as he positioned himself at my entrance.

With painful slowness, he entered me, his mouth immediately connecting with mine as he did. As it always did, my breath caught in my throat feeling him throbbing inside of me. I pulled my face away in order to attempt to breathe, and he continued kissing a path to the sweet spot behind me ear. Arching into him, I dug my heels into his back, urging him to move faster.

"My Bella," Edward whispered in my ear, pushing into me a little harder.

Edward and I had never had a boring sexual experience together…I guess we were lucky. Even after almost three years of being together, and almost two years of marriage, the electric current that emanated from us when we touched hadn't diminished. His kiss, his touch…always made my entire body come alive.

As Edward got closer, he hitched my leg up and began to enter me even deeper. I gasped and arched my back again, feeling another release building. "Come with me, beautiful." Edward kissed behind my ear, his breath coming out in short gasps. Just a moment later, he pulled his mouth back to mine in order to minimize the sounds coming out of me as I came again.

Edward pulled off of me and gently laid my head to rest on his chest. We were silent for a few minutes, trying to capture our breaths and slow our heart rates.

"I love you," I whispered, kissing his chest.

He chuckled. "I love you, too. Merry Christmas, my love." He started to sit up, and I groaned at him. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed my forehead. "I'm just grabbing your brush. You know you will be mad in the morning if you don't brush your hair tonight."

I just smiled at him, letting him release me and get up off the bed. Watching him move around the bedroom, I reflected on the past two years. After the drama surrounding Esmerie's birth, Edward and I became even closer. We had gone through a traumatic experience together and had come out both winners.

I won't lie; his proposal had completely shocked me. I had honestly forgotten about him asking me before because that year had been so crazy.

Esme had flown into action and had created us a beautiful wedding in just two months. March 5th had been a wonderful idea; exactly a year since we had gotten back together. We'd had a small wedding, with just our close friends and family, in Esme and Carlisle's backyard. I had found the perfect vintage dress at an antique store in Carson City, so Esme themed the wedding after the dress. There was an intricate pattern of lace surrounding a long train, with a hundred tiny buttons which took Alice and Esme forever to button up. It was an Emma Hunt dress, called Padma, and it was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. I had a small wreath of white daisies in my hair with a half bun and the rest of my hair flowing down in soft curls.

Esme's backyard was a beautiful place even before she transformed it, but after, it was just magical. There were no chairs necessary because of how few people attended, and they were all good sports about standing on the blanket of silk daisies that Esme had placed on the ground surrounding the alter. The trees surrounding the yard were decorated in white Christmas lights (since the wedding was at night), and Esme had planter boxes filled with lilies and daisies.

Edward had worn my favorite dark blue suit with a daisy in his lapel, with Jasper and Carlisle wearing the same. Alice had found a beautiful, vintage, lacy dress that fell to just under her knees. Since neither of us wanted to wear high heels on the grass, she found white ballet slippers for us to wear. Esme, as the mother of the bride (which still makes her cry when she thinks about my request), wore a light blue dress with daisy buttons on the front.

Carlisle had gotten his friend Rev. Webber to perform the wedding on short notice, and Edward and I had had a couple of meetings with him before the wedding. We had decided to recite our favorite songs to each other (something that captured our feelings) rather than the traditional vows. He agreed after he read them; he was very supportive of our idea.

When we got to the vows, it had started to snow lightly, which was the perfect way to end the wedding. The snowflakes mixed with my tears as I listened to Edward's vow.

"My Bella," he had said, pulling a little piece of paper out of his pocket. His hands shook slightly as he began to read Michael Buble's 'Everything' to me. It was a beautiful song, that I had heard before, but it still made me cry, listening to him read it to me.

When it came to my turn, I smiled shyly at him and began reading my song:

You're better then the best  
I'm lucky just to linger in your light  
Cooler than the flip side  
Of my pillow, that's right

Completely unaware  
Nothing can compare to where  
You send me, lets me know that it's okay  
Yeah, it's okay  
And the moments where my good times start to fade

You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed  
Sing like bird, dizzy in my head  
Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Oh, you make me smile

Even when you're gone,  
Somehow you come along just like  
A flower pokin' through the sidewalk crack  
And just like that  
You steal away the rain, and just like that

You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed  
Sing like bird, dizzy in my head

Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Oh, you make me smile

Don't know how I lived without you  
'Cause every time that I get around you  
I see the best of me inside your eyes  
You make me smile

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild

You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed  
Sing like bird, dizzy in my head  
Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Oh, you make me smile

Edward had smiled my favorite crooked smile and kissed me before the Reverend had told us to. I remember feeling that the whole world had slipped away, creating a single perfect moment in time that belonged to Edward and I only.

After the wedding, Edward and I had continued on with life. Esmerie was starting to get into everything in the house, so we built shelves so that we could start moving things up and out of her way. By her first birthday, she was running throughout the house and helping Edward and I just fall into bed at night.

Esmerie was full of energy and life, making everyone fall in love with her in an instant. Esme and Carlisle were the happiest people in the world. All three of their grandchildren were wonderful kids, who loved them very much.

"Baby?" Edward said, sitting on the bed next to me. "What 'cha thinking about?"

Smiling, I took the brush from his hands and sat up, letting the sheet fall down on my lap, exposing my breasts while I brushed my hair. "I was just remembering our wedding day…how perfect it was."

Edward smiled and leaned in to kiss me, his gaze flickering to my breasts. "It was a wonderful day, couldn't have timed that snow better, honestly." His hand came up and began massaging my breasts, running the pad of his thumb across my nipples. I moaned at the contact.

"Edward, we have to be awake in a few hours to go to your parents' house," I said, as I threw the brush down on the ground.

"It's your own fault," he whispered, as he started kissing my neck up to my ear. "I can't keep my hands off you when you flash me." We both chuckled a little.

I laid down, and Edward scooted closer to me, spooning me and pressing himself into my back. He kept his hand on my breast but wasn't pushing to do anything other than just hold me.

"Remember when Merie said her first word?" I asked, linking his fingers with my own. He laughed, squeezing our linked hands.

"I thought I was going to fall over when she said 'da-da.'"

"That was the cutest thing in the world. And now, we can't get her shut up!" I laughed again, snuggling in tighter. "And what she calls Esme and Carlisle?"

"Ga-da and Ga-ma…you're right, that is so freaking cute."

Slowly, I shifted so that I was facing him. I placed my hand on his cheek and stared into his beautiful green eyes. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

He leaned into my hand, and kissed my palm. "Just you being you, my love. And, I think that's my line."

Snuggling together, Edward closed his eyes to go to sleep. I stared at him a moment or two longer, in wonderment, thinking about the last two years. Esmerie had brought us together, definitely, but love had definitely held us.

APOV

"Jazz, where did you put the presents for Esme and Carlisle?" I asked, sifting through the bags that we had on the kitchen table. Tony and Isa were playing tag, running around the kitchen shrieking with glee.

"I already put them in the car," Jasper said, coming into the kitchen holding the huge diaper bag we had bought. We tried doing two, one for each kid, but that was too difficult. So, Jasper had bought this duffle bag that we were using to put both kids' stuff in. "Do you want me to take the rest of this stuff to the car also?"

"Yes, please," I said, kissing him on the lips quickly. Before I could step away from him, his hands snaked behind my back, pulling me closer. He brought his lips down on mine, running his tongue along my bottom lip. "Jazz, we have to leave in a few minutes."

"I know, sweetheart, but I just can't keep my hands off of you," he whispered, kissing my neck. He pecked my lips once more before pulling away from me and grabbing the bags on the table. "I'll be right back."

"Tony, Isa, go to your room and grab your backpacks."

"OK, ma-ma," Isa said, running to her room. Tony hung back, looking at me with a curious expression.

"Ma-ma, we go to Ga-pa and Ga-ma's house?"

"Yes, Tony."

"Ed-ard and Bel-la be there? With Merr-rie?"

"Yes, honey. All of the family will be there." I bent down and kissed him on the head. He always questioned everything. He reminded me of Jasper. Tony smiled and ran after Isa, slamming the door after him. Shaking my head, I wandered into my room to make sure we hadn't forgotten anything.

I sat down on the bed and looked around the room. _Things sure have changed in the last two plus years._ Jasper and I had made his house our home, meshing our lives quite easily. We had gotten married last July, a year and a half almost after Edward and Bella. Jasper and I wanted the twins to be old enough to walk down the aisle with us. Esme had held Isa's hand and Carlisle had held Tony's.

We had chosen a tiny little chapel in downtown Reno called Chapel of the Bells. We wanted something quick and simple, and something different from what Edward and Bella had done. I got a simple white dress, Jasper and Carlisle wore black suits, and I found the most beautiful pink, matching dresses for Esme and Bella to wear.

Isa and Tony's clothes were also simple. Isa had worn a light pink dress, and Tony wore a tiny black suit that was so adorable it almost brought tears to my eyes.

Jasper walked in the bedroom, breaking me out of my memories. "Anything wrong, Ali?"

I smiled at him, tugging him down to sit next to me on the bed. "Nothing. I'm just happy. Beyond-everything-in-the-world, happy."

Jasper smiled, putting both of his arms around me. "Ali, this has been the weirdest and most wonderful two years of my life. Being with you is like a miracle…I am beyond happy with you, too."

"Let's go. Christmas is waiting for us." I smiled, kissing him softly. _And so is the rest of our life._

**A/N: I know how much you guys like visuals (I'm the same way when I read fanfic stories!) so, here are the visuals for the separate weddings.**

**Catch you all in a few days with the Jasper outtake!**

Bella and Edward's wedding:

Bella's dress: (picture #1 – the Padma) .

Alice's dress: listing/113078124/white-lace-dress-drop-waist-1920s?ref=sr_gallery_12&ga_includes[0]=tags&ga_search_query=white+lace+dress&ga_search_type=all&ga_page=1&ga_view_type=gallery

Esme's dress: blog/?p=886

Edward's suit: . /_

Alice and Jasper's wedding:

Alice's dress: .

Jasper's suit: /p/1419285/z/twilight/jackson_rathbone_black_

Bella and Esme's dress: dresses/twist-long/?colorid=1199&cvsfa=3150&cvsfe=2&cvsfhu=7477697374322d43484b502d3178 5f2873697a65735f32325f323429 &gclid=CLDemrravbQCFSmCQgodmEIARA#.UN3h_3ejRXY

Isa's dress: za/exitPageRedirect?buyItLink=http%3A%2F% .com%2Fgp% %3Fie%3DUTF8%26tag%3Dstylespot-20%26linkCode%3Dur2%26camp%3D1789%26creative%3D9325%26location%3Dhttp%253A%252F% .com%252FCirco-Pink-Tulle-Easter-Dress%252Fdp%252FB000ZPNEJY%252Fref%253Dsr_1_100%253Fie%253DUTF8%2526s%253Dbaby-products%2526qid%253D1204320475%2526sr%253D1-100&externalDomain= &exitTrackingData=%7B%27catId%27%3A%27AAAABL4VSG8AAAAAAFtAzA%27%2C%27isAffiliate%27%3A%27true%27%2C%27isAvailable%27%3A%27false%27%2C%27date%27%3A%272%2F29%2F08%27%7D&channel=Catalog

Tony's suit: ca/I/yhst-82586530133576_2240_1474145


	36. Outtake Jasper

**A/N: Here we go! The very last thing I will post for this story…what a ride! Thank you to everyone involved: torisurfergirl, starpower31 and my family for putting up with me ignoring them! Haha.**

**I hope you enjoy Jasper…just remember he changes. This is pretty long because there was a lot that I needed to cover.**

Outtake – Jasper

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

JPOV

_Bitch._ That word just circled inside my head over and over, as I drank yet another drink. I had lost count of how many drinks I'd had, but I knew that it was enough for the bartender to take my keys away.

"Who?" the bartender, Joe, asked me.

"What?"

"Who's a bitch? You keep saying that word, but you won't tell me who you are talking about," Joe said, smiling at me.

"Oh, I didn't realize I had said it out loud. Actually, I'm talking about two people. My girlfriend and her friend."

"Well, buddy, wanna talk about it?"

"No!" I practically shouted, stepping back so quickly that the bar stool fell out from under me and crashed to the floor.

After that, everything happened fast. The manager of the bar was holding me down and Joe was calling me a cab. Soon enough, I was dropped off at home, only to take another cab over to Edward's place. I jumped out, asking them to wait for me.

Screaming, yelling, ranting and raving at him did nothing to help my anger. I could have spit fire at him and it wouldn't have made any difference. Edward laughed at me when discovering the bruises that bitch #1 had left all over my neck. He had also defended bitch #2 when I told him how she had dumped me. These two bitches were ruining my life, and they had my brother under their spell.

Hopping back in the cab, I gave the driver a different address to take me to. I was going to go soak my sorrow away in one of my regular women.

"Jazzy!" Irina purred, as she opened the door. "You look terrible! Come in, let Irina make you all better."

Irina was Russian; I had met her at the local brothel just outside of Reno several months before I had met Bella. She moonlighted doing her own business, of which I was a happy participant. Going to her was normal; I always went to her when I was upset about something in my life. She was easy to use and throw away after with no commitment expected.

Irina led me through her house and into the back bedroom. Before I could blink, she had my pants down and my dick in her mouth. She pushed me a little, and I fell into her couch, leaning my head back against it, relishing the feeling that her mouth always gave me. Licking and sucking was definitely her specialty, and I was coming in her mouth before too long.

"Jazzy, vhy you alvays come here vhen you are mad? Just vonce you need to vuck me vhen you are happy. That little girl giving you problems again? She still not letting you vuck her?" Irina kept talking and chatting about Bella. I knew that I shouldn't have cheated on Bella, but I also knew that Bella wasn't likely to sleep with me, and I had to get it somewhere. Really, she should have expected this.

But, since Bella had broken up with me that morning, I figured why the hell not? Bitch deserved to get cheated on…

And that Alice! Seducing me, ruining my relationship with Bella, and then trying to kiss me? What the fuck was wrong with that chick!?

After fucking Irina as hard as I could, I ended up leaving and catching a cab back to the bar to pick up my car. The bartender was not happy to see me, or to give me back my keys, and I almost hit him. His smirk told me that I wasn't going to get my keys back from him without a fight, so I punched him, grabbed my keys and ran. This day was getting worse and worse.

Later that day, I had tried to reason with Bella, but she slammed the door in my face. I drove straight to the grocery store and attempted to buy out the liquor department. But, there wasn't enough alcohol in the world to fix the problem.

Alice. She was the problem. Things were fine with Bella before her…_she_ had ruined everything.

~~WLTY~~

_What in the fuck is she talking about? I got her pregnant? Who does that little bitch think she is kidding? She gave it up to me so easily, how could I possibly believe that she didn't do that to every guy she meets?_

I called her a whore, yelling and screaming at her, but it hadn't made me feel better. I needed to do something worse. I thought briefly about keying her car, but I didn't want to get arrested or anything. Instead, I kicked the plants that she had outside her apartment, breaking several of them. I laughed when I saw them in pieces.

I sat down at my favorite sports bar and ordered a boiler maker. And then another. Pretty soon, I was feeling much better, and I decided to head over to Bella's place. I needed to make one final plea. For some reason I couldn't get her out of my head.

What I wasn't prepared for was my own brother fucking her. No wonder he had been happy the morning she had broken up with me. And there he was, in nothing but his boxers, telling me to calm down and not talk about Bella like the whore that she is. The fact that he didn't yell at me made me even madder.

I swear, when he told me that Bella was having his baby, I thought I was going to shit a brick. It took everything I had to stop myself from rushing him and pounding him into a bloody pulp. This fucker called himself my brother, but he was fucking my girlfriend and getting her pregnant…she wouldn't even sleep with me!

A day or so later—who can remember—I got a text from Edward that made me stop in my tracks.

_:You better do right by Alice, or I swear I will tell Mom:_

Oh fuck! If Edward was going to tell Esme, I would be totally screwed. She would be livid if I wasn't trying to do my best by Alice. _Fuck!_ I made up my mind right then that I would need to offer money to Alice…that was the only way to appease my mother.

Calling her didn't make any difference. She just yelled at me and then hung up. I sat down on my couch and ran my hand through my hair. If I really wanted to avoid getting yelled at by my mother, then I was going to have to do something drastic. That meant going over to her house.

When she opened the door, I thought she looked very pale…almost sickly. We fought of course, because she wouldn't listen to me and just do what I said for once. This woman was more infuriating than any woman I had met, including Bella.

Then she yelled at me and told me to get out. Before I could even move, I could see her eyes roll back into her head and she collapsed. Moving on instinct, I was able to catch her before she hit the ground. Panicked, I slapped her face to wake her up. She didn't move. I shook her; she didn't move. I laid her down on the ground and went and got some water and threw it at her face. She didn't move.

My heart started beating fast…she was going to blame me for this, I knew it! _What do I do? What do I do?_ Frantic, I started looking around the tiny apartment. Honestly, I wasn't sure what I was looking for, but somehow I thought I would know if I saw it. Maybe there was some magical cure for someone passing out.

Eventually, I had calmed myself down enough to realize that I needed to call 9-1-1. "Hello? My, um, girlfriend passed out, and I can't wake her up."

"Is she still breathing, sir?"

I leaned my head down next to her mouth, and I could feel air coming out of her nose. "Yes."

"OK, what's the address of where you are?"

I relayed Alice's address to the operator, who opted to stay on the line with me until the paramedics got there. Once they showed up, the operator hung up. I decided that I should probably go with her to the hospital…seemed like a dumbshit idea to just go home. Ed and my mother would kill me.

_Crap!_ Quickly reaching for my phone, I dialed my mother's number. "Mom?"

"Hi, Jazzy. What's up?"

"Um, can you and dad meet me at the hospital? My gir-um, a girl I know just passed out and she's on her way there now." Silently, I crossed my fingers, hoping she would just come and not ask any questions.

"Who is this girl?"

"Mom, can you please just meet us there? They are taking her to St. Mary's. I promise I'll tell you what's going on when we get there."

She sighed. "OK, Jazzy. Your father and I will meet you there."

"Thanks, Mom."

I hung up the phone and started walking toward my car. The ambulance had just left with Alice, and I needed to head over to the hospital on my own. No way in hell I was riding with them; I'd be stranded at the hospital if I did.

Pulling into the parking garage for the hospital, I realized that I should probably call Bella also. I wasn't expecting Edward to answer the phone.

"Jasper, why are you calling so late?"

"Ed, it's Alice. I went to see her, like you said I should, and she just collapsed. I couldn't wake her up for anything, so I had to call 9-1-1. We are at St. Mary's."

"We'll be right there."

"Good, hurry. I threw water on her, Ed, and she wouldn't wake up. Nothing I did helped." I hung up the phone, satisfied that he would think that I did my best. At least I wouldn't get in trouble.

Anger radiated through me for a moment, as I remembered how he had threatened to tell Esme on me. He may be my brother, but he was really an asshole. I was going to prove to my parents that I was the better son.

Confident that things were going to turn around for me, I walked into the hospital believing that I owned the world. I walked up to the nurse's station and asked to see Alice.

"What's her last name?" an old lady asked from behind the desk.

I drew a blank. Had anyone ever told me her last name? "I'm sorry…I don't remember her last name. She's my girlfriend, and she was just brought in by ambulance?"

She raised her eyebrows at me. "She's your girlfriend, and you don't know her last name?"

"Hey, it's a new relationship, don't give me your judgmental crap!" I yelled at her.

"Sir, I need you to calm down. I'll see if I can find her in our system, but I can't release any information to you unless you are her next of kin. I'll see if I can locate the doctor working on her." Then she turned her back on me.

Anger coursed through my body again. _Who the hell does this bitch think she is? Talking to me like that!_ Frustrated, and mildly embarrassed, I began pacing through the lobby.

Not soon enough, Edward and Bella showed up. My ire rose in my throat as she explained that she was Alice's next of kin. _Who the fuck were these girls that they assigned each other as their power of attorney?_ Fuck; this whole situation sucks.

Mom and Dad showed up soon after that, and the day just got worse and worse. My mother fucking yelled at me in front of everyone! I tried to calm down, not wanting to show her and everyone else how affected I was by being yelled at. But, my semi-calm almost dissipated altogether when I was forced to stay at Alice's bedside until morning. In the fucking hospital!

After everyone left, I positioned myself in the pullout chair next to her bed and flipped the TV on, doing my best to ignore her. Knowing that my mother had Alice's phone number, I was careful not to say or do anything that would be 'reported back.'

"Jasper?" Alice whispered. It was late; after the nurse made me turn the TV off.

"Hmm?" I was really trying hard to sleep, couldn't she just leave me alone?

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I really have to go to the bathroom. Can you help me?"

"Didn't they give you a catheter?" I questioned, not wanting to get up.

"No, they didn't. I'm not an invalid, Jasper." She sounded pissed.

"Then why do you need my help?" This chick wasn't making any sense at all.

She grunted, obviously frustrated as well, and proceeded to get up from the bed on her own. Then, I realized that she was going to tell Esme on me, so I got up quickly, mumbled an apology, and helped her to the bathroom. I was also quick to leave, not wanting to be in the room while she was going. Gross.

She woke me up a couple more times throughout the night. She asked me to help her get the nurse, since she couldn't find the call button, and she asked if I could get her something to drink. After each time, I got angrier and angrier. By morning, I was so pissed that I couldn't see straight.

_Who the fuck does she think she is, making me her fucking slave for the night!? I swear to God, if I never see her again it will be too soon. What a bitch!_

I did my duty; I had stayed with her all night, and I took her home. Relief settled on me after I left her at her apartment complex, hoping that I would never have to do anything else for her.

Unfortunately, my father had different plans. "Jazz, I want you to come visit us today. Like, right now."

My father had called me just as I was pulling into my parking spot at my condo. "But, Dad, I didn't get any sleep last night, and I'm tired!" I whined.

"Now, Jasper Carlisle Cullen. If you aren't here in fifteen minutes, I'm coming to get you. Do _not_ make me come and get you…you aren't ten years old anymore." He sounded extremely serious and almost mad. I decided it would be better for me to just go over there and deal with whatever was coming.

I noticed my mother's car was gone when I pulled into the driveway at my parents' house. Sighing with relief, I walked in the house and found my dad sitting in the living room, waiting for me.

"Sit." When my father had this tone, I knew that I had better just listen and do what I'm told. Last time I hadn't, he had beat my ass—metaphorically of course. I took a seat on the couch, a foot or two away from him, and looked at him expectantly. "I cannot tell you how disappointed I was at your behavior last night."

"But, Dad, I stayed all night and then gave her a ride home!"

Carlisle shook his head. "Not that behavior…what Alice, Bella and Edward said you have been like lately. We didn't raise you to talk to women like that! We didn't raise you to treat anyone the way you've been treating them. What the hell is going on with you?"

For a moment, I just stared at him. My father rarely ever got mad, and he looked pissed! Finally, I found my voice, "Look, Alice has done nothing but be rude to me. She called me all sorts of names, too! I was just defending myself!"

"That's bullshit, Jasper Cullen!" If my father never got angry, he certainly never swore at me. This was starting to get scary. He leaned toward me, pointing his finger into my chest. "You _will_ take care of her while she's pregnant. You _will_! If I hear any differently, you will be answering to me, do you understand that?"

I nodded.

"Good. Starting right now, you will be responsible for her grocery budget. I don't care what she wants or needs, you will buy it for her. Once a week, minimum, you will take her grocery shopping." I started to protest, but he put his hand up stopping me. "I don't care what feeble excuse you have, you will do this or I swear to God I will evict you from the condo."

My eyes widened. I knew having my parents as a co-signer on my condo loan was a big mistake.

"And, another thing. This attitude that you have developed…this is unacceptable. I am making a counseling appointment for you on Monday morning. You _will_ go, for a minimum of three sessions, or the same threat applies."

This was getting worse. "What the hell, Dad, you think I'm crazy or something?" I shouted, getting up from the couch. I began pacing, thinking desperately of how to get myself out of this mess.

"No, Jasper. I don't," he said quietly. "When I was younger, I had to go because of a medical condition. The psychiatrist put me on medication when I was about your age to deal with my overactive aggression. I think you have the same problem."

My pacing slowed, and I looked at him for further explanation.

Carlisle sighed, running his hand through his hair. "When I was younger, I had a lot of anger. Your mother was scared of me one night, because of my screaming, and she forced me to get help. I was diagnosed with over-producing testosterone. I've been on medication ever since. You remind me of how I acted, and I want you to get help."

After I had been talking to him for about an hour, Esme walked in. She didn't know about the conversation that I had just had with my father, so she lay down the law also. She told me that I had to be better about helping Alice, and she wasn't going to stand by and watch me treat people like that. Carlisle had promised me that he wouldn't mention this to Esme or Edward…otherwise I would have been completely humiliated.

So, that's how I ended up going to counseling. To say that my father's admission shocked me would be a huge understatement. The counseling session went OK…actually I really fucking hated it. She was pushy, making me talk about things and situations that I had no intention of telling her about. My father had obviously spoken to her ahead of time.

By the second session, she had diagnosed me with the same thing my father had. The counselor placed me on anti-testosterone medication. She had told me that it might take up to a week to kick in, before I would notice a difference. I didn't have to wait that long.

Sunday morning, three days after I started my medication, I woke up feeling different. There were subtle changes, but they were still there. I had forgotten to turn the timer on my coffee maker, so I had to wait for it to finish before getting coffee. Normally, that would have really made me angry, and I waited for the ire to build up, but it never happened. This was very different.

By the time I made it to Alice's for our weekly grocery shopping, I was almost happy. She opened the door, looking much better than she had the last time I saw her, and I smiled. She looked confused for a second, but then smiled back at me.

We walked through the store, chatting pleasantly and picking out her groceries. By this time, we had shopped together several times, and I was getting used to the types of things she would always get. I placed her brand of apple juice in the cart before she could and she smiled at me. For some strange reason, my heart started beating just a little faster. It was an odd sensation.

After that, I made a point of coming over to check on her more often. At a minimum of three nights a week…we actually had a nice routine. I told myself that I was going over there because my father demanded it, but truth was that I enjoyed her company and loved to see her smile.

We discussed baby names when I took her out to buy maternity clothes. I got the feeling that she hated the name I chose for a boy…I was convinced it would be a boy. I also helped her move apartments, ensuring that she didn't do any work at all.

I had made up my mind that I was definitely falling for Alice, and I had to do something about it. Of course, my mother coming over had put a damper in my plans to kiss her. I had already told Alice that I wanted to start coming to doctor appointments, and I was so close to kissing her when my mother stopped by. That was an uncomfortable visit. The second she was gone, I pounced on Alice; kissing her for all that I was worth. As soon as the connection was made with our lips, my feelings for Alice became much more solidified. I knew she was going to have to be a part of my life…

When we walked into the doctor's office, where we were having the sonogram, I could feel Alice shaking a little. I held her hand, softly rubbing it with my thumb, trying to calm her down. By the time we got to the back and the technician was gliding the sonogram machine, Alice was visibly shaking.

"It's going to be just fine, Ali. I promise," I said, soothingly. I kissed her on the forehead, as she turned to smile weakly at me.

"Hmm. Is this the first sonogram you have had?" the tech asked.

"Well, they did one in the hospital a while ago, but I never got to see it. Why? Something is wrong, isn't it?" Alice asked, her voice getting higher and higher.

"Nothing is wrong, exactly…do you have twins in your family?"

"Not that I know of, but I don't know my mother's family at all," Alice responded, squeezing my hand a little tighter. She looked up at me.

"No, no twins on my side. What's going on?" I asked.

The technician pointed to the screen to two tiny little blobs. "You are carrying twins, Ms. Brandon. This one on the right is clearly a boy, and it looks like the one on the left is a girl."

_Twins?_ "Um, are you sure?" I asked, holding my breath.

He laughed. "Yes, I'm sure. Congratulations! You are having one of each."

My mouth went dry, and I'm pretty sure that I broke out into a sweat. My heart started beating faster, and I could tell that I was about to slip into a panic attack. Alice looked up at me; her eyes were filled with love and happiness. She was clearly elated about the news. My first thoughts of terror were immediately gone. I leaned down and kissed her on the mouth, capturing her beautiful smile. I gazed into her eyes and everything aligned…everything was perfect for those few moments. After that, I couldn't stop smiling.

The entire way back to Alice's apartment, I couldn't stop thinking about the feeling that I had experienced with her. My thoughts were racing…_where did these feelings come from_? Just a couple months ago, Alice was the last person I wanted…but now I couldn't stop thinking about her. I hadn't even gone to Irina since I started my medication.

Once I had made love to Alice, I knew I was completely and totally addicted to her. She made me feel things that I had never experienced in my entire life. And, as scary as it sounded, I knew I was falling in love with her.

~~WLTY~~

"Jasper…" She paused, biting her lip again and looking so damn sexy that it should be illegal. "I'm in love with you."

Then, out of nowhere, her water broke. Rushing to her, I threw my arms around her and whispered how much I loved her, too, but that we needed to get to the hospital. She nodded, and we made our way toward her dresser so she could get dressed. I called Edward, and then my mother to let them know Alice was in labor.

We were at the hospital no less than ten minutes later, hand in hand, walking toward the Labor and Delivery floor. We didn't say anything…words weren't necessary. We had both thrown out to the other how we felt and things were looking pretty good.

The nurses situated Alice in a room, and they told us when time came for delivery she would be able to have the babies in the same room. Once we were situated, I lay down next to her and took her hand, waiting for the contractions to start.

We weren't waiting long; about an hour later, her hand clenched in mine and her breathing was shallow.

"Ali, breathe. In…and out. In…and out," I said softly, hoping to keep her calm with my voice. "Just like we learned at the baby class. In…and out."

Once the pain was over, she looked at me with appreciation. "Thanks, Jazz."

Kissing her on her forehead, I gazed into her eyes. "Are you sure you don't want pain medication?"

"Well, of course she does! No reason to be in pain for childbirth!" Esme said, walking into Alice's room. Carlisle was right behind her.

"Actually, Esme, I really want to do this naturally."

"Are you sure, dear?"

"Yes…at least for now. I reserve the right to change my mind later if the pain gets unbearable!" Alice laughed a little, and I squeezed her hand.

"Ali, if it gets too much, just let me know. I'll make sure that you get the pain meds. OK?" I kissed her lightly on her forehead. I noticed Esme and Carlisle smiling at us.

The hours went by slowly. Alice was in a lot of pain and it was killing me watch her. Esme was great about helping, but my dad seemed more uncomfortable than anything. He was on food and coffee patrol; whenever he thought we would need something, he left and came back with food and coffee for Esme and I.

"Jazz!" Alice shouted, screaming out in pain. "Get the nurse…doctor…someone. I have to push!"

Frantic, I ran into the hall to the nurse's station, grabbing the first person I saw. The nurse was much calmer than I was, following me into the room. She checked Alice and smiled at us.

"She's at ten centimeters. I'll go get the doctor and then you can start pushing," she said, smiling again and then left the room.

"Carlisle and I will wait outside in the waiting room, Jasper. We don't want to get in the way." Esme came over and kissed me on the cheek, doing the same with Alice.

After they were gone, the doctor came in and instructed Alice to push. She was screaming in pain, hunching over her stomach. For a moment I was frozen, not sure what to do. The nurse came up to me and pushed me toward Alice. I came out of my haze, and grabbed her hand, kissing her forehead.

"Ali, you are doing great. Push hard for me, sweetheart." She looked up at me, resting for a minute, and tears were streaming down her face. Gently, I placed my hands on either side of her face. "You can do this."

She pushed again and again…and finally the baby girl came out. She was so tiny, like a doll, and I was terrified for a second she wouldn't be OK. The nurses grabbed her away from us and started examining her. Alice was still crying, looking up at me and glancing at the baby in the corner.

"Ms. Brandon, the next baby is crowning. You need to start pushing again," the doctor said, breaking us of our silent communication.

While the nurses cleaned up the first baby, Alice went back to work to push out the second one. This one didn't take as long and came out in only three pushes. He was a little bigger, but not by much…and he was whisked away by the nurses also.

Fortunately, the doctor smiled at us and alleviated our fears immediately. "They look strong. The steroid shots we gave you obviously helped. They are breathing just fine on their own, and they are bigger than we expected. I suspect that you'll be able to take them home within the week."

Alice and I smiled at each other, and I brought my lips down to hers with a force. This woman had quickly become my everything. She was the best friend I never thought I'd have…she gave me two beautiful children…and she brought love into my life.

"Ali, I love you," I whispered against her lips.

She smiled, weakly, obviously tired. "I love you, too, Jasper."

**A/N: So, what did you think? Did you enjoy the transformation of Jasper as much as I did? Leave me some feedback!**

**Also, I'm working on another story "A New Beginning." Look for it to be posted soon! Thank you to everyone who read (and reviewed! LOVE reviews) and enjoyed my story. I appreciate each one of you, also.**

**Please follow me on Twitter for future story updates! numtwelve**


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